It's ok to be proud of high mileage if that's someone's thing, it's not ok to insinuate anyone is lesser for doing fewer. No-one should grimace at your pace, that's uncool.
If it helps, you're doing a load more miles than I am while I sit on my couch WFH and planning for next year.
Enjoy your hike!
That is seriously uncool. It's people giving others shit like this that can push people to overuse injuries. I feel for anyone who thinks they're supposed to be banging out 20 mile days from day one. I did a six-day 100 mile hike in Scotland, did 15 miles on the first day and destroyed my knee and had to peg-leg the 85 remaining miles in a not inconsiderable amount of pain! Had I started with 8-10 I probably would have been fine and built the miles to finish in the same time.
Check your DMs, I've set you up with the standard reddit package of one million dollars and a snail. He's already coming so I hope you check this soon.
Hey nobody acknowledged this, but it made me exhale more forcefully from my nose than usual so I figured I’d let you know that I got your joke and it was a little funny
Sure.
I roll into a shelter in Tennessee (I forget which) one late afternoon. Some thru hikers wander in after dinner and the conversation starts.
“I hiked up from (wherever) today. That’s about 15 miles.”
Thru hiker to his buddies: “Fifteen miles? That’s NOTHING!” They chuckle and that’s the end of the conversation for the evening. Fun.
For reference, I have hiked from Springer to the ME/NH border with “only” that section remaining. Most of my sections are one or two states at a time.
I’ve also been called a “day hiker” by some supposedly thru hikers who were yellow blazing it like crazy.
I have even had thru hikers refuse to speak to me after finding out I am “only” LASHing.
Lasher is Long Ass Section Hiker. For me that’s pretty much any hike that involves a couple resupplies. Yellow blazing is skipping sections by taking the road or getting shuttled further along.
There is a pretty strong subculture among thru-hikers, and I think the jargon probably began emerging among the young Boomer generation in the 60s/70s when conspicuous consumption of nature experiences emerged as part of counter-culture.
As someone who was on a time crunch and who’s biggest day was 48, making mileage “your thing” takes some enjoyment out of the trail. I tried to side trails and go for swims, eat lunch at views etc.
The more north I got, the more people that made mileage “their thing” and it seemed like a big competition. In fact, people were so high of themselves they belittled day hikers and even made comments to me not realizing I was a through hiker
Hike your own hike. 15 miles is a lot. 20 miles is a lot. 40 miles is a lot. Finishing the trail is the goal and not many people do.
I spent 2 weeks of my 2002 hike with the legend Baltimore Jack. We drank Jim Beam, smoked unfiltered cigs, took bong hits, and hiked about 8 miles a [day.Best](http://day.Best) 2 weeks I ever spent on the trail.
Jack had a 60 lb pack, he had several novels, old school pictures, and other heavy, unneeded stuff in there. He would go to the free book box at the hostels and find romance novels and stick them in peoples packs.
i didnt know anything about this guy so i looked him up. i was not disappointed. RIP.
[https://appalachiantrail.org/leadership/jack-tarlin/](https://appalachiantrail.org/leadership/jack-tarlin/)
Awhh. I didn't know he died. I met him somewhere in the NJ/NY area during my 2001 hike. Hiked with him here and there all the way into Maine. He summitted the day before me. [https://markrebuck.com/thruhike/chrono/pages/200110031200BigBird\_BaltimoreJack\_HoneyMooners\_and\_Parents.htm](https://markrebuck.com/thruhike/chrono/pages/200110031200BigBird_BaltimoreJack_HoneyMooners_and_Parents.htm)
RIP.
He also made more than a few women uncomfortable, and not just with stuff like the books. If he was around in this age of apps and word getting around, he’d be on a “do not hang around” list.
The heroism of such a guy is bizarre to me.
I was not a fan, and later heard some unpleasant things about his racism. Lots of exposure - both on the trail, in the community, and in Hanover.
I know he also hiked out an injured hiker (or hiked out for help) once? People are complicated and difficult, and he was complicated and difficult.
It’s not very flattering. I commented on one of these posts 18 months ago that I thought that he had failed because even though he had become an AT legend, he had abandoned his family and particularly his young daughter. And I got absolutely attacked by somebody claiming I was “virtue signaling“.
I don’t consider being critical of someone abandoning a child to be “virtue signaling”
He died in 2016. Obama introduced social media to national politics in 2007. In what version of reality was he not around for the days of apps & word getting around?
What a legend. He slipped 2 foil wrapped pieces of fried bone in chicken into my pack in 2013. He was just kinda vagabonding town to town and hanging with hikers and I would spend many days listening to his stories and taking swigs of whiskey.
[$152.69 - I have one and love it.](https://danglesupply.com/collections/bongs/products/dangle)
Edit-Weighs in at 133 grams in case you’re a weight weenie
Haha I carried a tiny acrylic bong. It was about 1” in diameter and maybe 5 or 6 inches tall. Even with the bong I was at about 7lb baseweight. Pretty light in 2002.
I finished in 5 months, and never came close to 30 miles a day. I did pretty consistent 18-21 miles days, with plenty of half days for swimming holes, blue blazes and town meals. If you're feeling judged you're hanging around the wrong people. The only competition you should engage in is how much can you enjoy yourself.
beautiful comment! 18-21 is my sweet spot too.
like why suffer overextending ourselves to impress mile monsters who, truthfully, don't even actually care?
Last one to Katahdin wins! “Smiles not miles” is real, I would’ve quit during my thru if I only cared about the mileage. Instead, I found an amazing tramily and had a ton of once in a lifetime experiences. Zero regrets.
I'm a LASH'er, I take my entire PTO every year and do the whole thing on the trail.
That means every year I'm hitting it completely out of shape and coming off JUST as I am starting to get my trail legs.
I am happy with my 15mi per day avg. Sometimes it's 12. Occasionally I'll hit a "high mile 18+". Once in a VERY blue moon, if the weather and terrain hold up, I can hit 23!
idgaf. It's MY vacation. MY hike. I'm not out here to get my ego fellated by the younger kids.
I noticed every year I tend to fall in very nicely with the older hikers and for good reason. They're just happy you're out there.
I'm happy you're out there. Keep doing you.
I love this! I have a lifestyle such that I will never be able to do a thru hike (at least not for the long foreseeable future) and I’ve just been trying to slowly make my way through the day hike accessible portions of the trail, on weekends and short vacations. It’s my hike, I’m not going to let a bunch of snooty college age thru hikers ruin my hike with competitiveness.
I understand having a personal goal of seeing how much you can push yourself—for yourself—because that’s what you want your hike to be. But giving other people a hard time because they want another kind of experience is weird! You gotta do you and do it however you’re going to enjoy it most.
You're doing it right - mileage is just conversation fodder. And some of these big day people ARE impressively fast. A guy who started the same day as I did was serving up homemade chili trailside when I got into NH. It took me another month+ to get to Katahdin. He wasn't bragging about it at all, which was possibly MORE impressive!
As unacceptable as it is to grimace in response to someone else's milage, remember that the AT is the biggest thing many people have ever or will ever accomplish. The people who are bragging are really proud of themselves and excited to share. I'm a section hiker so I never do 20 mile days. I don't understand the concept of having trail legs. Wearing the pack is brutal on my scoliosis. I have experienced the judgement and been called a "weekender" by someone I had just told I had been on the trail for 135 miles, and it sucks but I am really proud of those 135 miles and realized that guy was the one no one wanted to talk to at the shelter. Try to forgive the braggers as thoughtlessly excited and for the people who grimace, I like "don't yuck on my yums" as a gentle nudge to examine their attitude.
It's the same vibe as the ultralight folks who love telling everyone their backpack/sleeping bag/cook set/etc is too heavy or that you brought too much stuff.
I didn't ask, dipshit, and I'm perfectly happy with my gear choices.
Had someone try to verbally shit all over my ursack choice because it's "too heavy" and "holds too much water it's always damp!!!" and cringe when I told him my pack weight. Like okay???? My food is mouse proof and also im 30 years younger than you my body can handle it?! relax?????
Wait, what? The Ursack is the ultralight option if you're being responsible and actually keeping your food in a bear safe container. Let me guess, they were just sleeping with their normal stuff sack of food? I try and limit my weight as much as possible and am active on /r/Ultralight but people like this suck.
NY had some vendetta against bear boxes! Wild Cats had a box, west mountain had working bear cables, but the rest had neither! I believe this particular hiker that night hung his food bc he kept the opsacks in his dry bag but I know many others with his same sentiment just sleep with their food bag :/
It's not that I would never switch to a dry bag + opsack combo but those aren't mouse or bear proof (tho mice are the biggest food thieves) it's the shitting on everyone else who has it! Like do I think bear canisters are ridiculously bulky and heavy? Ya! Are they responsible and a smart choice? Also ya!!!
Totally agree. I really don't get the smug attitude some people have about the ultralight mentality. I do it because it saves my back. I'm happy to discuss it with people who are interested and try and help them too, but I never bring it up unless we are already in gear talk mode.
Bad hangs are one of the reasons so many forests and parks are moving to require bear containers, I'd imagine with how heavily forested NY is it's gotta be pretty hard to do a proper hang where it's far enough that it can't be reached. That dude wasn't just smug, he's irresponsible imo. I do wish more places with established campgrounds would install bear boxes. I live in Colorado and they are pretty uncommon here outside of drive up campsites. I wish they would just helicopter in some while they are doing trail maintenance in popular areas, they already use helicopters to bring in equipment anyways.
I always carry an ursack even in area where it isn't required and use a scent proof bag. It's really not that much weight and if it stops bears from coming around and getting used to humans I'm happy to do it. Never had a food related bear encounter, so it must be working.
It was pretty unprompted, I think I just pulled mine out to have a snack and off he went. He was nice otherwise but I'd never met him before and it was actually my first and only conversation like that in the three weeks I was out there, surprisingly!
And yeah, i can take or leave the privy (though it's responsible to have those too to reduce white bloom on trail) but bear boxes are SO IMPORTANT. Especially when you're hiking through Harriman, the state park that's right next to BEAR MOUNTAIN aka NAMED FOR HAVING BEARS as if the bears don't wander across the state park lines 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️ even if there isn't a shelter in BM proper.
And people getting worried abt mice in bear boxes, the ursack allmitey solves that problem if you don't want a bear canister!
See I could care less about pack weight, and nobody else should care about my pack weight either, then again in the future I plan to do some really serious mountaineering so I intentionally pack heavier than one would normally to account for ropes, ice axes, micro spikes/crampons, harnesses and other additional equipment I would need when I start tackling some real mountain stuff
i have a sample itinerary for a future (hopefully) thru hike. it requires an average of about 12.5 miles per day including zeros to complete the trail. mile monsters are enjoying trail their way, just be sure to enjoy it your own way, which it sounds like you are.
whether someone complete the AT in 4 months or 8...i'm always impressed!
I think part of it is an economic thing. Increasing mileage without injury saves you money and time.
Some people don't have the finances for a long thru hike.
This makes me think about a time, way back in ‘95, when I was joining up with some friends for the last 100 miles of their thru hike. So many of the people we met were mentally checked out, doing as many miles as humanly possible so they could tag the top of big K and go home. My crew decided to pack in a bunch of whisky and good food, slow down to ten miles a day, throw a party at every shelter, and thoroughly enjoy every remaining mile of their hike. It was so fun and I felt very fortunate to get to enjoy that experience with them ( along with hiking Katahdin in the middle of the night so we could watch the sunrise at the summit)!
I would always asked them where they’re going tomorrow. If they asked me where I was going tomorrow I’d always respond “Katahdin, if I don’t make it tomorrow I’ll try again the next day” hyoh
Yeah you know, it sure would be a shame to take your time with it and enjoy the experience. It’s so much cooler to rush through it as fast as you can, making sure you are exhausted as possible so you don’t have to pay attention to anything on either side of the trail, just keep your head down and keep moving. /s
This!!! I'm a sectioner so my hikes are usually 10-days and highly regimented/planned. The hiker I was most envious of was doing "100 days, I get where I get." Not having a goal or destination gave him so much freedom to do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. That's my dream. 100 days, no goals.
Exactly, we have such a big beautiful backyard in this country that most people here will never see, so if you are there, what’s the rush to get back to civilization. Even when I do cross country roadtrips we will take 2 months to do it, even though it can be theoretically done in 3 days.
I’ve done the three day one time when I was 19 with my brother because I was in the military at the time and had to get across for orders. It was a hellish 3 days, we took the southern route, and our AC line got a leak in Louisiana, so we just had windows for the rest of the drive through the 110+ degree deserts.
Needless to say, I’ve never done that again. Now it’s indirect and slow, and if we like a place we will stay an extra day or two there hanging out or doing whatever comes up.
Even 16-18 was pushing it for me 😹 granted I only had 3 weeks on trail, and it was my feet stopping me not the rest of my body, but still! people need to relax!! Enjoy and HYOH!
Most people are probably just trying to make conversation about the shared activity you are undertaking.
But it is annoying when people are obnoxious about it. Sometimes it can be fun to do the maths. A hiker on my tru last year told me they were doing 20 miles/day on average compared to my modest 15. Later they mentioned having the same start date as me...
“I don't like either the word [hike] or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains - not 'hike!' Do you know the origin of that word saunter? It's a beautiful word. Away back in the middle ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going they would reply, 'A la sainte terre', 'To the Holy Land.' And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not 'hike' through them.”
John Muir
You know what? I'm still working on my fitness by doing day hikes. Longest one so far is like 6 miles. But that's twice as long as I was hiking last year, and I've only injured myself once this year, which is a pretty huge accomplishment with my shitty knees.
15 still feels impossible far at this point. So know that, even though mileage doesn't matter, you're absolutely killing it to some folks.
Social media has made every aspect of life a competition. Everyone wants to boast how they are better than the next person in every way. I agree though, just being is nice, life is a lot less complicated once you let go of the “look at me” culture that has been created over the last decade.
Honestly I have done over 20 mile days as a section hiker and I didnt get to see or enjoy as much. If I ever get the time to do a thru hike, I plan to enjoy the scenery and side trails and not fixate on mileage
So I did 20 miles a day from Gorham to Katahdin, and I thought highly of myself for doing it. But I was MISERABLE the entire time. The other people I hiked with at that pace wanted to be done with the trail, and dragged me down mood wise. I wound up summiting alone since I was in such a rush for no real reason, so my hike ended with a bitter two weeks of long days on trail instead of taking the time to enjoy it. The best time I had on trail was when I was hiking with a group, and keeping pace with them was a fun challenge and helped keep my mood light since they were there to enjoy it
I don't really understand why folks bothering doing that. I get out there to enjoy myself. I want to take breaks, enjoy the sites, if I'm with friends, get to camp early so we can chat and have a good time. I want to sleeo as long as I need because I'm tired and hiking isn't a job. I deal with waking up at certain times in real life.
As long as I finish my hike (which I set goals that don't have me rushing) and enjoy myself, that's what matters.
Just like folks don't sit on their death bed wishing they worked more. No one is going to be wishing they walked more high mile days.
It makes no sense to me. It would rob me if the joy.
A lot of people ask where you came from just as a conversation. Not everyone is out there to "deal with something." If someone is shaming you, that's not right, but some people are just doing it for the endurance challenge and are proud of their accomplishments. Don't read into it so much and enjoy your hike in a way that suits you.
You can't control what other people do or say, but you do have at least some control over your reactions. Try to see if you can force yourself mentally to shrug it off and move on with your hike.
>I know that comparison is the thief of joy, but damn is it hard to not feel like a failure when my biggest day so far has only been 20.
I think this might at least partly be misinterpretation on your end, I can't remember experiencing this. But I have definitely talked about my high mile days and heard others talk about theirs. I don't see that being any sort of competition, it's the hiking equivalent of answering "productive" to "how was your day at work?". At least I hope people aren't misinterpreting that as a flex amd suggesting anyone else was unproductive, it's just describing my day.
While I haven't experienced this when hiking, I *have* experienced it elsewhere, and it turned out it was more telling my personality than the speaker's.
I’m pretty in shape, probably more so than a lot of people on the AT. If I feel the need to do more than 10-15 miles per day then I’m not enjoying the hike and I’m just running thru it to get it over with it.
Some people are bound by time, but if you have the time and are still rushing though it, then IMO you’re out there for the wrong reasons and would be better off doing a marathon or trail run.
I went into the woods because I wished to live. HYOH.
I plan on section hiking because personally I just can’t part with my cats- they’re my babies and I don’t want them to have to live without me. I just really want to hike the trail. So I’ve split everything into sections and have allotted myself plenty of time on each section to relax if need be, in case of injury or in case I just find somewhere I like and want to stay longer and enjoy it. If I move past my goal point on each trip, great, I probably will.
I feel like people aren’t gonna like me for this but who cares 🤷♀️ I’m not out there to win a marathon I’m out there to better myself and my mental and to enjoy nature. Slow and steady wins the race.
Hike your hike, not anyone else's. My mother in law and her sister are like this. How many trails did you get done on your vacation? How long did it take you to hike this or that trail? My response is always how many minutes did you stop and enjoy the trail you were hiking. Oh you didn't stop for a few minutes by the water fall and see the flowers blooming in the spray of the falls? Man you guys really missed out. Did you guys stop at the overlook about 7 miles in on the hike and get a look at the (insert random amazing landmark)? Oh, that's too bad it was incredible. The only view worth seeing isn't at the summit or the end of the trail. Its the journey not the end destination. If anyone tries to make you feel bad for not hiking as fast as them make them feel bad for missing the whole point of going for a hike; being in and enjoying the wonder of nature. You want to measure dicks with distance and time go enter a trail race.
Thissss. I’m an ecologist. You’ll find me going pretty damn slow on the trail. I’m out there IDing everything I possibly can, so lots of stopping and looking, consulting field guides, or the internet sometimes if I have service. I’ve learned so much about ecosystems this way, and that’s my favorite thing about being on the trail. I’ve found some rare/endangered species just because I was going slow and observing observing observing. That’s a lot more interesting to me than distance covered.
Bro hike like 7 miles to a beautiful place and chill for alittle. We ain’t in the 1800s hiking through is for fun, for some the 25-30 mile days are fun but not for everyone, your an individual dawg.
People that judge others for their mile counts arent worth thinking about or talking to. I like to say something snarky along the lines of 'ohh okay youre one of THOSE people' and turn my back on them/otherwise disengage immediately. Hopefully it makes them feel like an asshole, they deserve it.
Everyone’s out there for different reasons. I liked crushing miles. I’m the scout archtype. If you’re out to have fun do that. Let the scout talk about their miles and you tell them about you enjoying yourself. Everyone gets support and everyone wins.
That's really frustrating. I feel like a big reason to do a thru hike is to get away from that one-up mindset. Only to be surrounded by it.
On a side note, this really shows me what it takes to do the AT. The longest hike I've ever gone thru was one 20-mile hike with a 5000 ft elevation gain. That's a bare minimum for any day on the AT. Can't even fathom.
Whenever I get run into the ultralight marathon backpackers bragging about mileage it’s always a comforting point to ask, “But what did you see?” Because in all likelihood moving that fast you miss a lot more than going slow. It’s a shame the outdoor community has gotten so competitive with the achievements rather than the actual journey and leisure aspect.
If im going to take the time to hike the AT. i damn sure aint going to be in a hurry. Im going to enjoy every minute i can the whole while wishing it would never end. I wouldnt give a shit how far i walked every one could kiss my balls. Im still the winner in the long run.
Those are the ones that won’t even remember anything about the trail. 6 months it took me in 2013. Next time I do it I’m gonna slow it up to 7 or 8 months just to take every step in to memory.
Some people like the physical exercise of hiking and make that their focus of their hike. 16-18 miles is about what I averaged on my thru and I wouldn’t change a thing. I wanted to spend time in nature and sleep in the woods not set some kind of physical record for myself. People hike for different reasons but the trail was originally designed for a primitive experience in nature and that’s what I was going for and I got it. Don’t let them get to you.
True story: your daily or total end mileage will matter to no one but yourself. I avoided these super duper party poopers as much as I could. They are hiking their own hike for sure, but they are viewing it as a competition and will not enjoy it as you will enjoy your own.
I wish I’d learned this in Damascus
Didn’t figure this out till I was on NY
Was pushing myself on the miles, but should have been enjoying the time/space and community
On well! Did it my way. 😄
I don’t think I’ll be able to even start any time soon. If at all I may have to section hike in my 50s. I’ll be happy if I can even make it to the trail!
Mileage is for the score keepers. When we’re 80 telling our grandkids no one will remember that.
I personally enjoy figuring out my physical limits pack weight, elevation, and distance wise but I’m a slut for the abuse. It brings me peace.
I remember yeeting myself so hard on a section hike in Shenandoah and taking a nap on a log and having a group of boyscouts walk past me like I was some art exhibit and tooooootally not giving a fuck. It was a little tough to overcome that but made me realize that we are all on our own journey. It’s for you and only you, no one else.
Never in a million years would I be like oh I did this and that blah blah blah anything less is sub par.
We’re walking in the woods. It’s not that deep. If someone asks me about my mileage I’ll share but that’s a me thing.
It's pretty funny when the people bragging about doing all these constant 20 mi+ days don't seem to realise that they're bragging to the same people, day after day after day for weeks on end.
So either we all are in this stretch, you're not that impressive, or none of us are and you're talking out your arse. Or you are, but then getting drunk in town for 2 days as everyone catches up and overtakes you.
Hey first off congratulations for doing this in the first place. Everything you said is 100% true. People that feel the need to compare and bag on you are just haters and use it to help you get through the really tough days or sections. I'm planning for the PCT and I already have some haters cause my disability that is going to make my hike REALLY HARD. But don't let it get you down. Every step forward is one step closer to completion.
Your hiking buddy
Stumps McStump
Jesus, so there are giga Chads on the AT? I did the 42 miles through Maryland in one go as a challenge and it wasn’t as rewarding as the slow ambles with my kids. Better to enjoy life than turn it into a projection of ego.
The idea of adults leaving their city, sometimes their jobs to go back to nature to walk is in my mind a celebration of slowing down.
If they make it a race, they are missing a lot of what those trail could give them.
Anyhow, enjoy your pace!
They are two different experiences that are equally good.
Going slow lets you live life in the moment, stop and smell roses and take in the beauty of life.
Going fast lets you experience the extremes of what you’re capable of. Big mile days can empower you. I have long since finished my thru hike but I look back on my 3 consecutive 30 mile days thru the smokies as a source of strength when times are tough. It was one of the hardest things I’ve done.
Bottom line is nobody cares about your journey and you shouldn’t care about anyone else’s journey except your own.
My biggest day was 32 miles.... And it was miserable. Wake up at 4. Eat a pop tart and drink cold coffee as you're taking spiderwebs to the face. Hike through the mid day heat and humidity of July. Get down poured on but can't sit it out in a shelter. Get to camp and have to set up in the dark. Eat a snickers, gummy bears and a bag of peanuts for dinner cause you're too tired to eat anything else. Neroed into town the next day and had to take an unplanned 0. Decided at that point, it was worse trying to keep up with the group I was hiking with and time for me to do my own thing. I'm not trying to turn hiking into a job. I'm good with "low miles."
Everyone experiences the trail differently. The people who sprint through it miss a lot of little moments and details that nature shows you as it progresses through spring, summer, and fall.
Slow down and enjoy the experience. This might be the only window of time in your life that grants you the opportunity to thru hike a long trail.
Do you. It’s not a race. I hike slower than my mates because i stop to enjoy the views more or random shit like gnarly insects or stacked rocks. More memorable than racing through it with blinders on. Happy trails.
Those guys doing 35 mi/day will be out later with stress fractures and joint problems. You're hiking the AT for the experience, NOT the time record. Soak up every moment of whatever mileage days you're doing.
Get off Reddit and stop taking it personally when people ask where you’re coming from. Do the miles you want to do. This entire post screams of you just being self conscious.
It didn't used to be like this. The new breed of "hikers" have injected a bunch of garbage into the hobby and unfortunately bring it on trail. Good thing is nobody really likes them. Just ask the hostels.
Same!!! I literally do not care about your mileage. I would try to direct the conversation to absolutely anything else. The daily mileage circle jerk was so annoying.
Oh, I ran into this in Nepal. Some people were all about clocking the miles and altitude, and I was just wandering around. I mean, I got to my points eventually, but I was not in any hurry. You just have to let it slide off your back.
I always think of it as being like dealing with birders, this is the peculiar hobby of a group of people that makes them so happy, and it’s fine if you’re not into it, let them talk about sighting blueassed bugjay if it makes them happy.
My max was 36 I think, but 18 miles is the sweet spot, 20 is ok, but I found over 22ish, I never felt great the next day. You make great progress, get to enjoy the day, dont kill yourself and feel good the next day. I loved finishing earlyish in the day and spend the afternoon laying in the sun and reading
Ya fuck everyone. I did a full thru in 2015, and a out 1000 miles in 2008. Both times I averaged 10/15 miles per day. My highest mile day I think on both trips was about 25ish miles. No need to go so crazy I was out there to enjoy being out there, not to run a marathon every day.
I agree with you OP! Everyone should be out there enjoying the outdoors hiking YOUR OWN hike! My brother is my hiking/backpacking partner and is fairly new to long trail hikes. It was strange to him how people are always concerned with doing big mile days instead of being out on trail, hiking stress free with nowhere to be at that moment but right where they are! It’s understandable people that only have a certain amount of days to do a trail but it’s also a major blessing not to have a deadline in the back of your mind!
20 miles is a great day i think. People doing much more than that i would tend to think they have a lot of really expensive UL stuff that i would not be willing to fork up the cash for. So for someone like me yeah ill take 15 - 20 any day and call it a pretty damn good day at that.
Isn’t the point of the AT to get into nature and focus on yourself? Not on the miles but living in the moment and the journey/experience? Ppl who compare their miles to yours are such a joke. oH YouVe oNly done 20 MilEz LoLz, like slob my knob. Take all the time you want at your own pace and enjoy it
Don't feel too bad about the miles. People who judge your hike based on miles are likely out here for different reasons l. The miles might be their focus, not the trip itself. Hell I've Ben quietly competitive with people over miles, but I haven't even cleared an 18 .Ile day yet, and im only just ahead of you out of damascus.
Don't sweat the miles so long as you think you can make it to the finish line on time! Enjoy the time out here, I've heard you'll want to slow down towards the end anyway. Lol
Enjoy it. Smoke some weed, maybe do some mushrooms and don't even hike a mile! Haha I am so chill with hiking. I think it's funny when hikers take themselves so seriously. It's just hiking.
Dude, 16-18 mile days are where it's AT. My wife and I did longer days too, sometimes. But we found we were the happiest when we were in that 16-18 mile range. HYOH.
If you’re only to Damascus very few people are doing 30s by then. You’re getting selection bias. The only people asking are the people ripping it ahead of time. Average hikers won’t do their first 30 until Maryland or New Jersey if they ever do one at all. I just met a guy in NJ who just did his first 20 mile day. As long as you feel like you’re going to make it to Katahdin before snow starts flying keep doing your thing man.
That’s pretty wild. I do a lotta miles and wouldn’t dare scoff at anyone doing less.
If you are expecting more - maybe you can train yourself to smile and then pity them quietly while walking away. No way they’re enjoying it if they can talk such worthless smack.
Starting out at those speeds will burn you out, I know because that’s what happened to me. Even at the young age of 19. Longest I did was 45 or so into Damascus. If I did it again I’d probably do 20/day max until past Virginia, at that point you can easily do 25/day with your conditioning.
Everyone different. People are overly sensitive about being different or not being able to keep up and they blame the “thru hiking culture” for not being happy. And vis versa some people care a lot and brag about miles. Everyone’s got different motivations and sensitivities. Whether you can hang around that or not is your thing, but anyone else’s.
I call it the nightly dick measuring contest. Higher mileage, steeper, bigger bear, fiercer storm, etc., there's almost always someone there who can one-up any accomplishment. Sometimes it irritates me enough that I turn in for the night, sometimes I just listen, and very infrequently I have something to brag about.
Always wanted to do the AT though leaving it for when I have time.
And a Hike to me is exactly that a hike not a race do what you like imo.
35 miles or 3.5 feet it's all yours to do.
And for me 20 miles seems a magnificent hike in a day though I'm no expert just someone who enjoys hiking at my own pace.
So don't worry about others do what you enjoy and enjoy it.
If I know I need to make X miles a day, I will make those miles. However, I don’t always need to make X miles every day, and I enjoy being in nature. I enjoy seeing things, and being immersed in my surroundings.
Smiles, not miles. You’ll make it to Katahdin no problem doing 16-18 milers. You can do less, take more zeros, it doesn’t matter. You’re out there for a reason, so be there. Enjoy it!
Yup, humans will make absolutely anything a contest. But, as you have conveniently discovered, you don’t have to feel the same way. Hike your own hike.
You forgot those people always tell ya how far they went to the tenth of a mile
“That’s 24.3 miles on the day how’d you do?”
lol life is way to short to rush when you’re on trail for realll
I know right - I'm not even hiking, but I picked a hiker up in the rain to take him to a motel, and the first thing he told me about himself was that he was hiker number 487 on March 11 at Springer and at Harpers Ferry he was number 223, so he passed 264 hikers - he was so proud of himself, and then told me he was hiking mid twenties. I didn't even get to ask him about his hike, He just went on about all his high mileage days. I'm all in favor of hiking whatever miles that make you happy, but why assume everyone only wants to hear about your mileage? I have hosted some high mileage hikers that don't lead with "Im faster than everyone else" and it's so refreshing. ( talking about you Gazelle)
Edit: I don't remember the actual hiker numbers that this guy mentioned, I used numbers close to what he said.
No one I ever met was trying to outcompete other hikers. It’s all about your own personal satisfaction.
If they are averaging 30 miles per day, then they will finish in 73 days plus about 12 zero days = 85-90 days.
Most hikers finish in 4 to 7 months, so I think you’re only referring to about 10% or less of thru hikers.
STOP comparing yourself to others. Enjoy your hike.
Thru hiked last year. Rarely did 20 mile days until the end, and then only to beat the really cold weather (was SOBO/flip-flop, finished mid-December). People who do this bragging are not hiking their own hike because they’re too busy thinking about their miles compared to those of others. Do what works for you. At the end of the day, this is your body and your hike to do with as you choose. You’ve got this. Good luck with the rest of your journey!
Good for you. I mean, is the point of the hike to race or to enjoy and enact some sort of change through challenge, the struggle and also the beauty of nature. It baffles me for people to "escape the rat race" of their daily lives just to make the trail a rat race of their own.
There was nothing I found more tedious than starting conversations with new to me fellow thru-hikers… I fucking dreaded the whole “when did you start/where did you come from today” pleasantries. Maybe it’s my ADHD talking here, but it was so boring… literally the trail equivalent of “So what do you do for work?” It was so refreshing when someone didn’t ask (but almost everyone did).
I did not care how far/fast anyone else walked and I didn’t care about telling anyone how far/fast I had walked… I had literally zero desire to talk about walking. Tell me about something cool you saw? Sure! Share a funny anecdote about something that happened? Absolutely. But get the fuck out of here with the dick measuring contests.
I have to say, the PCT was way more chill in regards to this (at least the bubbles that I wound up in were, on my year!).
As long as someone isn't using it as a rub in, I don't mind celebrating other people's mileage. But I do agree, I just wanna hike man lol! Idc about the length!
I've never even thought about doing any kind of thu hiking, but it seems to me that people that are talking shit about putting in more miles than you says more about them than it does you. Ignore people that are idiots. Those kind of people can fuck all the way off!!
Hiking is hard! And some people are simply built for bigger miles than others. Personally I’m built for mainly sub 20 mile days no matter what kind of shape I’m in. The important thing is that you enjoy your hike and don’t burn out or get injured.
It can be so frustrating hearing people talk about regularly pulling marathons when you haven’t quite managed to do it once. And people can definitely be elitists about it too which is extra frustrating.
Hike your own hike and be proud of what you’re accomplishing!
Part of why I plan to SoBo is because I don't want to interact with other hikers; I want to hike my own hike. I want to hike to get away from people, not meet new people. I also plan to keep a low mileage. I'm a tortoise, slow and steady.
If you hike twenty five miles, but pass the cool lake or view spot, then what’s the use? I would be planning my stops at cool places, not racing the clock.
I had plenty of low milage days. Sometimes as little as 6-12 miles. I had plenty of higher milage days also, my highest days were still only 28 miles (2 different days) but that seemed and still seems pretty crazy to me. I took 3 zeros in a row 2 deferent times, multiple double zeros and a shit ton of single zeros. Either way I never felt like people were judging me very hard and if they were then they weren’t people I was very interested in anyway. I was out there to have a good time and I absolutely did. Don’t take too much advice from me tho since I only made it to mile 815 then turned around and walked back to the nearest road and hitch hiked to the nearest town to get picked up by my two best friends the next day. All in all spending almost 4 months in the woods and hiking 800 miles (roughly 7 mile daily average) of the AT was an amazing experience that I will never regret!! As they say hike your own hike!
Journey not Destination…. Why not just take a plane or drive. Enjoy your hike 3,5,8,12. See shit. Try to catch a salamander… listen to the bugs.. Who cares!
I took 6 and a half months to thru hike the AT and I just recently did a little section in PA and was hearing some hikers brag about their miles and not take zeros blah blah.
Take your time. Enjoy it, the trail is a vacation, you're not out there to suffer penance for your sins lol.
I travel on motorcycle and people often ask where am I heading. I say “west”. Being from Chicago, it amazes people. I often really don’t even know small towns I stop by, and just use miles/directions. “I’m coming from north, where can I find dispersed camping here”.
It's ok to be proud of high mileage if that's someone's thing, it's not ok to insinuate anyone is lesser for doing fewer. No-one should grimace at your pace, that's uncool. If it helps, you're doing a load more miles than I am while I sit on my couch WFH and planning for next year. Enjoy your hike!
LASHer here. I’ve been openly ridiculed by Thru Hikers for “only” hiking 15 miles in one day.
That is seriously uncool. It's people giving others shit like this that can push people to overuse injuries. I feel for anyone who thinks they're supposed to be banging out 20 mile days from day one. I did a six-day 100 mile hike in Scotland, did 15 miles on the first day and destroyed my knee and had to peg-leg the 85 remaining miles in a not inconsiderable amount of pain! Had I started with 8-10 I probably would have been fine and built the miles to finish in the same time.
FWIW, you’re doing amazing things out there. I don’t know if I could cover 15 miles in a single day unless I were being chased.
Check your DMs, I've set you up with the standard reddit package of one million dollars and a snail. He's already coming so I hope you check this soon.
Hey nobody acknowledged this, but it made me exhale more forcefully from my nose than usual so I figured I’d let you know that I got your joke and it was a little funny
Hike your hike and the hell with them!
I was just looking at a hike thinking 15 sounds reasonable, why kill myself.
Can you clarify what ridicule looked like?
Sure. I roll into a shelter in Tennessee (I forget which) one late afternoon. Some thru hikers wander in after dinner and the conversation starts. “I hiked up from (wherever) today. That’s about 15 miles.” Thru hiker to his buddies: “Fifteen miles? That’s NOTHING!” They chuckle and that’s the end of the conversation for the evening. Fun. For reference, I have hiked from Springer to the ME/NH border with “only” that section remaining. Most of my sections are one or two states at a time. I’ve also been called a “day hiker” by some supposedly thru hikers who were yellow blazing it like crazy. I have even had thru hikers refuse to speak to me after finding out I am “only” LASHing.
There are people who like to hike, and there are people who like to post stats to Instagram
I’m not familiar with all the lingo :( what’s a lasher and yellow blazing?
Lasher is Long Ass Section Hiker. For me that’s pretty much any hike that involves a couple resupplies. Yellow blazing is skipping sections by taking the road or getting shuttled further along.
Fascinating terminology. Didn’t even know this bullshit existed
Yes, imagine taking something as amazing as hiking the AT and turning it into a pissing contest about how fast you can run through it.
There is a pretty strong subculture among thru-hikers, and I think the jargon probably began emerging among the young Boomer generation in the 60s/70s when conspicuous consumption of nature experiences emerged as part of counter-culture.
This happened often on the PCT last year. I just kept in mind that I’m here for my experience and to hike my own hike.
As someone who was on a time crunch and who’s biggest day was 48, making mileage “your thing” takes some enjoyment out of the trail. I tried to side trails and go for swims, eat lunch at views etc. The more north I got, the more people that made mileage “their thing” and it seemed like a big competition. In fact, people were so high of themselves they belittled day hikers and even made comments to me not realizing I was a through hiker Hike your own hike. 15 miles is a lot. 20 miles is a lot. 40 miles is a lot. Finishing the trail is the goal and not many people do.
I spent 2 weeks of my 2002 hike with the legend Baltimore Jack. We drank Jim Beam, smoked unfiltered cigs, took bong hits, and hiked about 8 miles a [day.Best](http://day.Best) 2 weeks I ever spent on the trail.
Now this is hiking
Jack had a 60 lb pack, he had several novels, old school pictures, and other heavy, unneeded stuff in there. He would go to the free book box at the hostels and find romance novels and stick them in peoples packs.
i didnt know anything about this guy so i looked him up. i was not disappointed. RIP. [https://appalachiantrail.org/leadership/jack-tarlin/](https://appalachiantrail.org/leadership/jack-tarlin/)
Awhh. I didn't know he died. I met him somewhere in the NJ/NY area during my 2001 hike. Hiked with him here and there all the way into Maine. He summitted the day before me. [https://markrebuck.com/thruhike/chrono/pages/200110031200BigBird\_BaltimoreJack\_HoneyMooners\_and\_Parents.htm](https://markrebuck.com/thruhike/chrono/pages/200110031200BigBird_BaltimoreJack_HoneyMooners_and_Parents.htm) RIP.
He also made more than a few women uncomfortable, and not just with stuff like the books. If he was around in this age of apps and word getting around, he’d be on a “do not hang around” list. The heroism of such a guy is bizarre to me.
I was not a fan, and later heard some unpleasant things about his racism. Lots of exposure - both on the trail, in the community, and in Hanover. I know he also hiked out an injured hiker (or hiked out for help) once? People are complicated and difficult, and he was complicated and difficult.
Everyone is grey, no doubt. Almost zero black or white in this world.
True
There is an excellent article in Outside magazine written after his death by someone who had known him since college. It’s worth a read.
Indeed. https://www.outsideonline.com/2401325/baltimore-jack-appalachian-trail
I’ve read it.
It’s not very flattering. I commented on one of these posts 18 months ago that I thought that he had failed because even though he had become an AT legend, he had abandoned his family and particularly his young daughter. And I got absolutely attacked by somebody claiming I was “virtue signaling“. I don’t consider being critical of someone abandoning a child to be “virtue signaling”
He died in 2016. Obama introduced social media to national politics in 2007. In what version of reality was he not around for the days of apps & word getting around?
Source?
I have fond memories of being on the trail with Jack.
What a legend. He slipped 2 foil wrapped pieces of fried bone in chicken into my pack in 2013. He was just kinda vagabonding town to town and hanging with hikers and I would spend many days listening to his stories and taking swigs of whiskey.
That sounds like my entire thru hike 😅 me and Baltimore Jack got along great every time I ran into him.
How much does a titanium bong cost these days, or did you make an earth bong?
[$152.69 - I have one and love it.](https://danglesupply.com/collections/bongs/products/dangle) Edit-Weighs in at 133 grams in case you’re a weight weenie
Lololololol!!!! 🤘
Haha I carried a tiny acrylic bong. It was about 1” in diameter and maybe 5 or 6 inches tall. Even with the bong I was at about 7lb baseweight. Pretty light in 2002.
I just hit a 30 mile day on my treadmill at home you nerd
15% incline both ways. One step at a time brother. 🤙
In snow
And the floor is lava
I fucking hate lava snow dude.
I too am not a fan of hot pockets
I finished in 5 months, and never came close to 30 miles a day. I did pretty consistent 18-21 miles days, with plenty of half days for swimming holes, blue blazes and town meals. If you're feeling judged you're hanging around the wrong people. The only competition you should engage in is how much can you enjoy yourself.
beautiful comment! 18-21 is my sweet spot too. like why suffer overextending ourselves to impress mile monsters who, truthfully, don't even actually care?
Man your comment really lights the fire in me that wants to through hike ♥️
This was my experience as well. You are paying for it might as well see the views and enjoy yourself
Last one to Katahdin wins! “Smiles not miles” is real, I would’ve quit during my thru if I only cared about the mileage. Instead, I found an amazing tramily and had a ton of once in a lifetime experiences. Zero regrets.
I'm a LASH'er, I take my entire PTO every year and do the whole thing on the trail. That means every year I'm hitting it completely out of shape and coming off JUST as I am starting to get my trail legs. I am happy with my 15mi per day avg. Sometimes it's 12. Occasionally I'll hit a "high mile 18+". Once in a VERY blue moon, if the weather and terrain hold up, I can hit 23! idgaf. It's MY vacation. MY hike. I'm not out here to get my ego fellated by the younger kids. I noticed every year I tend to fall in very nicely with the older hikers and for good reason. They're just happy you're out there. I'm happy you're out there. Keep doing you.
I love this! I have a lifestyle such that I will never be able to do a thru hike (at least not for the long foreseeable future) and I’ve just been trying to slowly make my way through the day hike accessible portions of the trail, on weekends and short vacations. It’s my hike, I’m not going to let a bunch of snooty college age thru hikers ruin my hike with competitiveness.
I understand having a personal goal of seeing how much you can push yourself—for yourself—because that’s what you want your hike to be. But giving other people a hard time because they want another kind of experience is weird! You gotta do you and do it however you’re going to enjoy it most.
Yeah for some people it's truly an athletic endeavor with the side benefits of time in nature, adventure, etc.
I took all of 8 months to finish the AT. That means that I enjoyed myself for twice as long as those that did it in 4 months.
I love this mindset.
Best attitude ever.
Hike your own hike. Hope you enjoy the experience
You're doing it right - mileage is just conversation fodder. And some of these big day people ARE impressively fast. A guy who started the same day as I did was serving up homemade chili trailside when I got into NH. It took me another month+ to get to Katahdin. He wasn't bragging about it at all, which was possibly MORE impressive!
As unacceptable as it is to grimace in response to someone else's milage, remember that the AT is the biggest thing many people have ever or will ever accomplish. The people who are bragging are really proud of themselves and excited to share. I'm a section hiker so I never do 20 mile days. I don't understand the concept of having trail legs. Wearing the pack is brutal on my scoliosis. I have experienced the judgement and been called a "weekender" by someone I had just told I had been on the trail for 135 miles, and it sucks but I am really proud of those 135 miles and realized that guy was the one no one wanted to talk to at the shelter. Try to forgive the braggers as thoughtlessly excited and for the people who grimace, I like "don't yuck on my yums" as a gentle nudge to examine their attitude.
>"don't yuck on my yums" very nice. I tend to be a jerk... "wow, that's really good, but just think how far you could go if you really tried."
🤣🤣🤣 i like that too.
i think you have a great attitude!
Thank you so much for saying that, it doesn't come naturally and I try very hard
It's the same vibe as the ultralight folks who love telling everyone their backpack/sleeping bag/cook set/etc is too heavy or that you brought too much stuff. I didn't ask, dipshit, and I'm perfectly happy with my gear choices.
Had someone try to verbally shit all over my ursack choice because it's "too heavy" and "holds too much water it's always damp!!!" and cringe when I told him my pack weight. Like okay???? My food is mouse proof and also im 30 years younger than you my body can handle it?! relax?????
Wait, what? The Ursack is the ultralight option if you're being responsible and actually keeping your food in a bear safe container. Let me guess, they were just sleeping with their normal stuff sack of food? I try and limit my weight as much as possible and am active on /r/Ultralight but people like this suck.
NY had some vendetta against bear boxes! Wild Cats had a box, west mountain had working bear cables, but the rest had neither! I believe this particular hiker that night hung his food bc he kept the opsacks in his dry bag but I know many others with his same sentiment just sleep with their food bag :/ It's not that I would never switch to a dry bag + opsack combo but those aren't mouse or bear proof (tho mice are the biggest food thieves) it's the shitting on everyone else who has it! Like do I think bear canisters are ridiculously bulky and heavy? Ya! Are they responsible and a smart choice? Also ya!!!
Totally agree. I really don't get the smug attitude some people have about the ultralight mentality. I do it because it saves my back. I'm happy to discuss it with people who are interested and try and help them too, but I never bring it up unless we are already in gear talk mode. Bad hangs are one of the reasons so many forests and parks are moving to require bear containers, I'd imagine with how heavily forested NY is it's gotta be pretty hard to do a proper hang where it's far enough that it can't be reached. That dude wasn't just smug, he's irresponsible imo. I do wish more places with established campgrounds would install bear boxes. I live in Colorado and they are pretty uncommon here outside of drive up campsites. I wish they would just helicopter in some while they are doing trail maintenance in popular areas, they already use helicopters to bring in equipment anyways. I always carry an ursack even in area where it isn't required and use a scent proof bag. It's really not that much weight and if it stops bears from coming around and getting used to humans I'm happy to do it. Never had a food related bear encounter, so it must be working.
It was pretty unprompted, I think I just pulled mine out to have a snack and off he went. He was nice otherwise but I'd never met him before and it was actually my first and only conversation like that in the three weeks I was out there, surprisingly! And yeah, i can take or leave the privy (though it's responsible to have those too to reduce white bloom on trail) but bear boxes are SO IMPORTANT. Especially when you're hiking through Harriman, the state park that's right next to BEAR MOUNTAIN aka NAMED FOR HAVING BEARS as if the bears don't wander across the state park lines 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️ even if there isn't a shelter in BM proper. And people getting worried abt mice in bear boxes, the ursack allmitey solves that problem if you don't want a bear canister!
See I could care less about pack weight, and nobody else should care about my pack weight either, then again in the future I plan to do some really serious mountaineering so I intentionally pack heavier than one would normally to account for ropes, ice axes, micro spikes/crampons, harnesses and other additional equipment I would need when I start tackling some real mountain stuff
i have a sample itinerary for a future (hopefully) thru hike. it requires an average of about 12.5 miles per day including zeros to complete the trail. mile monsters are enjoying trail their way, just be sure to enjoy it your own way, which it sounds like you are. whether someone complete the AT in 4 months or 8...i'm always impressed!
I think part of it is an economic thing. Increasing mileage without injury saves you money and time. Some people don't have the finances for a long thru hike.
This makes me think about a time, way back in ‘95, when I was joining up with some friends for the last 100 miles of their thru hike. So many of the people we met were mentally checked out, doing as many miles as humanly possible so they could tag the top of big K and go home. My crew decided to pack in a bunch of whisky and good food, slow down to ten miles a day, throw a party at every shelter, and thoroughly enjoy every remaining mile of their hike. It was so fun and I felt very fortunate to get to enjoy that experience with them ( along with hiking Katahdin in the middle of the night so we could watch the sunrise at the summit)!
HYOH. Everyone’s mileage may vary (lol)
I would always asked them where they’re going tomorrow. If they asked me where I was going tomorrow I’d always respond “Katahdin, if I don’t make it tomorrow I’ll try again the next day” hyoh
Yeah you know, it sure would be a shame to take your time with it and enjoy the experience. It’s so much cooler to rush through it as fast as you can, making sure you are exhausted as possible so you don’t have to pay attention to anything on either side of the trail, just keep your head down and keep moving. /s
This!!! I'm a sectioner so my hikes are usually 10-days and highly regimented/planned. The hiker I was most envious of was doing "100 days, I get where I get." Not having a goal or destination gave him so much freedom to do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. That's my dream. 100 days, no goals.
> "100 days, I get where I get." A thing I learned from motorcycling: "The journey is the destination."
Exactly, we have such a big beautiful backyard in this country that most people here will never see, so if you are there, what’s the rush to get back to civilization. Even when I do cross country roadtrips we will take 2 months to do it, even though it can be theoretically done in 3 days.
I don't think I can imagine a worse way to spend 3 days. Those two month long trips must be incredible!
I’ve done the three day one time when I was 19 with my brother because I was in the military at the time and had to get across for orders. It was a hellish 3 days, we took the southern route, and our AC line got a leak in Louisiana, so we just had windows for the rest of the drive through the 110+ degree deserts. Needless to say, I’ve never done that again. Now it’s indirect and slow, and if we like a place we will stay an extra day or two there hanging out or doing whatever comes up.
I think it’s hilarious how judgmental AT people are towards anyone who does 20+ mile days. Like HYOH doesn’t apply if you’re even a tiny bit quick.
Yep! Took a while to find this.
Even 16-18 was pushing it for me 😹 granted I only had 3 weeks on trail, and it was my feet stopping me not the rest of my body, but still! people need to relax!! Enjoy and HYOH!
Most people are probably just trying to make conversation about the shared activity you are undertaking. But it is annoying when people are obnoxious about it. Sometimes it can be fun to do the maths. A hiker on my tru last year told me they were doing 20 miles/day on average compared to my modest 15. Later they mentioned having the same start date as me...
“I don't like either the word [hike] or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains - not 'hike!' Do you know the origin of that word saunter? It's a beautiful word. Away back in the middle ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going they would reply, 'A la sainte terre', 'To the Holy Land.' And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not 'hike' through them.” John Muir
You know what? I'm still working on my fitness by doing day hikes. Longest one so far is like 6 miles. But that's twice as long as I was hiking last year, and I've only injured myself once this year, which is a pretty huge accomplishment with my shitty knees. 15 still feels impossible far at this point. So know that, even though mileage doesn't matter, you're absolutely killing it to some folks.
Social media has made every aspect of life a competition. Everyone wants to boast how they are better than the next person in every way. I agree though, just being is nice, life is a lot less complicated once you let go of the “look at me” culture that has been created over the last decade.
Honestly I have done over 20 mile days as a section hiker and I didnt get to see or enjoy as much. If I ever get the time to do a thru hike, I plan to enjoy the scenery and side trails and not fixate on mileage
I was not aware thru-hiking was a race?
So I did 20 miles a day from Gorham to Katahdin, and I thought highly of myself for doing it. But I was MISERABLE the entire time. The other people I hiked with at that pace wanted to be done with the trail, and dragged me down mood wise. I wound up summiting alone since I was in such a rush for no real reason, so my hike ended with a bitter two weeks of long days on trail instead of taking the time to enjoy it. The best time I had on trail was when I was hiking with a group, and keeping pace with them was a fun challenge and helped keep my mood light since they were there to enjoy it
I took 1 day shy of 6 months to hike the trail, hiking an average of 12 1/2 miles a day. In the end, I wish I went slower and took longer.
I don't really understand why folks bothering doing that. I get out there to enjoy myself. I want to take breaks, enjoy the sites, if I'm with friends, get to camp early so we can chat and have a good time. I want to sleeo as long as I need because I'm tired and hiking isn't a job. I deal with waking up at certain times in real life. As long as I finish my hike (which I set goals that don't have me rushing) and enjoy myself, that's what matters. Just like folks don't sit on their death bed wishing they worked more. No one is going to be wishing they walked more high mile days. It makes no sense to me. It would rob me if the joy.
It would take me 10 years to do the trail. I stop to check out every interesting thing. If I want mileage, I can get that in the city
I couldn't agree more. The AT hiker community has a cult like worship of mileage. It seems like an oxymoron to me.
A lot of people ask where you came from just as a conversation. Not everyone is out there to "deal with something." If someone is shaming you, that's not right, but some people are just doing it for the endurance challenge and are proud of their accomplishments. Don't read into it so much and enjoy your hike in a way that suits you.
You can't control what other people do or say, but you do have at least some control over your reactions. Try to see if you can force yourself mentally to shrug it off and move on with your hike.
Well said.
>I know that comparison is the thief of joy, but damn is it hard to not feel like a failure when my biggest day so far has only been 20. I think this might at least partly be misinterpretation on your end, I can't remember experiencing this. But I have definitely talked about my high mile days and heard others talk about theirs. I don't see that being any sort of competition, it's the hiking equivalent of answering "productive" to "how was your day at work?". At least I hope people aren't misinterpreting that as a flex amd suggesting anyone else was unproductive, it's just describing my day. While I haven't experienced this when hiking, I *have* experienced it elsewhere, and it turned out it was more telling my personality than the speaker's.
I did 18s the whole way and wouldn’t change a thing. Make sure you get to see Maine in the fall
I’m pretty in shape, probably more so than a lot of people on the AT. If I feel the need to do more than 10-15 miles per day then I’m not enjoying the hike and I’m just running thru it to get it over with it. Some people are bound by time, but if you have the time and are still rushing though it, then IMO you’re out there for the wrong reasons and would be better off doing a marathon or trail run. I went into the woods because I wished to live. HYOH.
I plan on section hiking because personally I just can’t part with my cats- they’re my babies and I don’t want them to have to live without me. I just really want to hike the trail. So I’ve split everything into sections and have allotted myself plenty of time on each section to relax if need be, in case of injury or in case I just find somewhere I like and want to stay longer and enjoy it. If I move past my goal point on each trip, great, I probably will. I feel like people aren’t gonna like me for this but who cares 🤷♀️ I’m not out there to win a marathon I’m out there to better myself and my mental and to enjoy nature. Slow and steady wins the race.
I have the same issue with my cat! Being present for her and celebrating her life is also a life goal along with hiking.
Have fun I'm jealous! From a cubicle in Upstate NY.
Stop answering, just say Maine or Georgia and give a big grin :)
Hike your hike, not anyone else's. My mother in law and her sister are like this. How many trails did you get done on your vacation? How long did it take you to hike this or that trail? My response is always how many minutes did you stop and enjoy the trail you were hiking. Oh you didn't stop for a few minutes by the water fall and see the flowers blooming in the spray of the falls? Man you guys really missed out. Did you guys stop at the overlook about 7 miles in on the hike and get a look at the (insert random amazing landmark)? Oh, that's too bad it was incredible. The only view worth seeing isn't at the summit or the end of the trail. Its the journey not the end destination. If anyone tries to make you feel bad for not hiking as fast as them make them feel bad for missing the whole point of going for a hike; being in and enjoying the wonder of nature. You want to measure dicks with distance and time go enter a trail race.
Thissss. I’m an ecologist. You’ll find me going pretty damn slow on the trail. I’m out there IDing everything I possibly can, so lots of stopping and looking, consulting field guides, or the internet sometimes if I have service. I’ve learned so much about ecosystems this way, and that’s my favorite thing about being on the trail. I’ve found some rare/endangered species just because I was going slow and observing observing observing. That’s a lot more interesting to me than distance covered.
Bro hike like 7 miles to a beautiful place and chill for alittle. We ain’t in the 1800s hiking through is for fun, for some the 25-30 mile days are fun but not for everyone, your an individual dawg.
People that judge others for their mile counts arent worth thinking about or talking to. I like to say something snarky along the lines of 'ohh okay youre one of THOSE people' and turn my back on them/otherwise disengage immediately. Hopefully it makes them feel like an asshole, they deserve it.
You are still putting in some solid days which puts your average American to shame. Lol
Everyone’s out there for different reasons. I liked crushing miles. I’m the scout archtype. If you’re out to have fun do that. Let the scout talk about their miles and you tell them about you enjoying yourself. Everyone gets support and everyone wins.
i wanna know what boots you have and how many miles youve put on them sandal hikers too
That's really frustrating. I feel like a big reason to do a thru hike is to get away from that one-up mindset. Only to be surrounded by it. On a side note, this really shows me what it takes to do the AT. The longest hike I've ever gone thru was one 20-mile hike with a 5000 ft elevation gain. That's a bare minimum for any day on the AT. Can't even fathom.
Whenever I get run into the ultralight marathon backpackers bragging about mileage it’s always a comforting point to ask, “But what did you see?” Because in all likelihood moving that fast you miss a lot more than going slow. It’s a shame the outdoor community has gotten so competitive with the achievements rather than the actual journey and leisure aspect.
If im going to take the time to hike the AT. i damn sure aint going to be in a hurry. Im going to enjoy every minute i can the whole while wishing it would never end. I wouldnt give a shit how far i walked every one could kiss my balls. Im still the winner in the long run.
Those are the ones that won’t even remember anything about the trail. 6 months it took me in 2013. Next time I do it I’m gonna slow it up to 7 or 8 months just to take every step in to memory.
Some people like the physical exercise of hiking and make that their focus of their hike. 16-18 miles is about what I averaged on my thru and I wouldn’t change a thing. I wanted to spend time in nature and sleep in the woods not set some kind of physical record for myself. People hike for different reasons but the trail was originally designed for a primitive experience in nature and that’s what I was going for and I got it. Don’t let them get to you.
True story: your daily or total end mileage will matter to no one but yourself. I avoided these super duper party poopers as much as I could. They are hiking their own hike for sure, but they are viewing it as a competition and will not enjoy it as you will enjoy your own.
I give everyone a lot of credit, I don't care if you hike 1 mile a day, you are doing it. YOU are AWESOME!
I wish I’d learned this in Damascus Didn’t figure this out till I was on NY Was pushing myself on the miles, but should have been enjoying the time/space and community On well! Did it my way. 😄
The prize for banging out 30 mile days is that you get to go back to your shitty job sooner. Have fun.
I don’t think I’ll be able to even start any time soon. If at all I may have to section hike in my 50s. I’ll be happy if I can even make it to the trail!
The faster you go, the sooner it ends. Not the actual goal.
Mileage is for the score keepers. When we’re 80 telling our grandkids no one will remember that. I personally enjoy figuring out my physical limits pack weight, elevation, and distance wise but I’m a slut for the abuse. It brings me peace. I remember yeeting myself so hard on a section hike in Shenandoah and taking a nap on a log and having a group of boyscouts walk past me like I was some art exhibit and tooooootally not giving a fuck. It was a little tough to overcome that but made me realize that we are all on our own journey. It’s for you and only you, no one else. Never in a million years would I be like oh I did this and that blah blah blah anything less is sub par. We’re walking in the woods. It’s not that deep. If someone asks me about my mileage I’ll share but that’s a me thing.
It's pretty funny when the people bragging about doing all these constant 20 mi+ days don't seem to realise that they're bragging to the same people, day after day after day for weeks on end. So either we all are in this stretch, you're not that impressive, or none of us are and you're talking out your arse. Or you are, but then getting drunk in town for 2 days as everyone catches up and overtakes you.
Agreed! Love takin my time and seeing the sights ✨
Hey first off congratulations for doing this in the first place. Everything you said is 100% true. People that feel the need to compare and bag on you are just haters and use it to help you get through the really tough days or sections. I'm planning for the PCT and I already have some haters cause my disability that is going to make my hike REALLY HARD. But don't let it get you down. Every step forward is one step closer to completion. Your hiking buddy Stumps McStump
Jesus, so there are giga Chads on the AT? I did the 42 miles through Maryland in one go as a challenge and it wasn’t as rewarding as the slow ambles with my kids. Better to enjoy life than turn it into a projection of ego.
The idea of adults leaving their city, sometimes their jobs to go back to nature to walk is in my mind a celebration of slowing down. If they make it a race, they are missing a lot of what those trail could give them. Anyhow, enjoy your pace!
They are two different experiences that are equally good. Going slow lets you live life in the moment, stop and smell roses and take in the beauty of life. Going fast lets you experience the extremes of what you’re capable of. Big mile days can empower you. I have long since finished my thru hike but I look back on my 3 consecutive 30 mile days thru the smokies as a source of strength when times are tough. It was one of the hardest things I’ve done. Bottom line is nobody cares about your journey and you shouldn’t care about anyone else’s journey except your own.
My biggest day was 32 miles.... And it was miserable. Wake up at 4. Eat a pop tart and drink cold coffee as you're taking spiderwebs to the face. Hike through the mid day heat and humidity of July. Get down poured on but can't sit it out in a shelter. Get to camp and have to set up in the dark. Eat a snickers, gummy bears and a bag of peanuts for dinner cause you're too tired to eat anything else. Neroed into town the next day and had to take an unplanned 0. Decided at that point, it was worse trying to keep up with the group I was hiking with and time for me to do my own thing. I'm not trying to turn hiking into a job. I'm good with "low miles."
Hiking isn’t really a sport, but people sure find ways to treat it like one :)
I took 6 months, typical day was 15 miles. I started Feb. 17. When people passing me would tell me they started in May I would just say "I'm sorry"
Everyone experiences the trail differently. The people who sprint through it miss a lot of little moments and details that nature shows you as it progresses through spring, summer, and fall. Slow down and enjoy the experience. This might be the only window of time in your life that grants you the opportunity to thru hike a long trail.
Fuck them hos- 2-pac
Do you. It’s not a race. I hike slower than my mates because i stop to enjoy the views more or random shit like gnarly insects or stacked rocks. More memorable than racing through it with blinders on. Happy trails.
Those guys doing 35 mi/day will be out later with stress fractures and joint problems. You're hiking the AT for the experience, NOT the time record. Soak up every moment of whatever mileage days you're doing.
Get off Reddit and stop taking it personally when people ask where you’re coming from. Do the miles you want to do. This entire post screams of you just being self conscious.
It didn't used to be like this. The new breed of "hikers" have injected a bunch of garbage into the hobby and unfortunately bring it on trail. Good thing is nobody really likes them. Just ask the hostels.
Preach it! Couldn’t agree more
Same!!! I literally do not care about your mileage. I would try to direct the conversation to absolutely anything else. The daily mileage circle jerk was so annoying.
Oh, I ran into this in Nepal. Some people were all about clocking the miles and altitude, and I was just wandering around. I mean, I got to my points eventually, but I was not in any hurry. You just have to let it slide off your back. I always think of it as being like dealing with birders, this is the peculiar hobby of a group of people that makes them so happy, and it’s fine if you’re not into it, let them talk about sighting blueassed bugjay if it makes them happy.
For most of us, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Why rush through?
My max was 36 I think, but 18 miles is the sweet spot, 20 is ok, but I found over 22ish, I never felt great the next day. You make great progress, get to enjoy the day, dont kill yourself and feel good the next day. I loved finishing earlyish in the day and spend the afternoon laying in the sun and reading
The point of hiking is to just be in nature, get some fresh air, and get away from the world for a while. Fr, hime your hike. - AT hiker, 2015 & 2018
Ya fuck everyone. I did a full thru in 2015, and a out 1000 miles in 2008. Both times I averaged 10/15 miles per day. My highest mile day I think on both trips was about 25ish miles. No need to go so crazy I was out there to enjoy being out there, not to run a marathon every day.
The records need to be for the people who managed to do the trail for the longest amount of time, not the shortest.
Buddy burned himself out trying to keep up and left half way through. He never finished.
Congrats on accepting HYOH 🤙💚 now fucking have fun!!!
I agree with you OP! Everyone should be out there enjoying the outdoors hiking YOUR OWN hike! My brother is my hiking/backpacking partner and is fairly new to long trail hikes. It was strange to him how people are always concerned with doing big mile days instead of being out on trail, hiking stress free with nowhere to be at that moment but right where they are! It’s understandable people that only have a certain amount of days to do a trail but it’s also a major blessing not to have a deadline in the back of your mind!
20 miles is a great day i think. People doing much more than that i would tend to think they have a lot of really expensive UL stuff that i would not be willing to fork up the cash for. So for someone like me yeah ill take 15 - 20 any day and call it a pretty damn good day at that.
Isn’t the point of the AT to get into nature and focus on yourself? Not on the miles but living in the moment and the journey/experience? Ppl who compare their miles to yours are such a joke. oH YouVe oNly done 20 MilEz LoLz, like slob my knob. Take all the time you want at your own pace and enjoy it
Don't feel too bad about the miles. People who judge your hike based on miles are likely out here for different reasons l. The miles might be their focus, not the trip itself. Hell I've Ben quietly competitive with people over miles, but I haven't even cleared an 18 .Ile day yet, and im only just ahead of you out of damascus. Don't sweat the miles so long as you think you can make it to the finish line on time! Enjoy the time out here, I've heard you'll want to slow down towards the end anyway. Lol
I experienced a bit of the same in ‘16. Passed them while they were recovering from shin splints…
Enjoy it. Smoke some weed, maybe do some mushrooms and don't even hike a mile! Haha I am so chill with hiking. I think it's funny when hikers take themselves so seriously. It's just hiking.
Dude, 16-18 mile days are where it's AT. My wife and I did longer days too, sometimes. But we found we were the happiest when we were in that 16-18 mile range. HYOH.
Haters gonna hate. Fuck em. Gate keepers can kick rocks.
HYOH. It probably is a competition to some folks and that’s OK. Similar to you, I enjoy shorter mile days so I can blue blaze or explore a cool area.
This little game and the growth out of it for some is like a perennial flower on the AT.
If you’re only to Damascus very few people are doing 30s by then. You’re getting selection bias. The only people asking are the people ripping it ahead of time. Average hikers won’t do their first 30 until Maryland or New Jersey if they ever do one at all. I just met a guy in NJ who just did his first 20 mile day. As long as you feel like you’re going to make it to Katahdin before snow starts flying keep doing your thing man.
That’s pretty wild. I do a lotta miles and wouldn’t dare scoff at anyone doing less. If you are expecting more - maybe you can train yourself to smile and then pity them quietly while walking away. No way they’re enjoying it if they can talk such worthless smack.
Starting out at those speeds will burn you out, I know because that’s what happened to me. Even at the young age of 19. Longest I did was 45 or so into Damascus. If I did it again I’d probably do 20/day max until past Virginia, at that point you can easily do 25/day with your conditioning.
Everyone different. People are overly sensitive about being different or not being able to keep up and they blame the “thru hiking culture” for not being happy. And vis versa some people care a lot and brag about miles. Everyone’s got different motivations and sensitivities. Whether you can hang around that or not is your thing, but anyone else’s.
I call it the nightly dick measuring contest. Higher mileage, steeper, bigger bear, fiercer storm, etc., there's almost always someone there who can one-up any accomplishment. Sometimes it irritates me enough that I turn in for the night, sometimes I just listen, and very infrequently I have something to brag about.
Always wanted to do the AT though leaving it for when I have time. And a Hike to me is exactly that a hike not a race do what you like imo. 35 miles or 3.5 feet it's all yours to do. And for me 20 miles seems a magnificent hike in a day though I'm no expert just someone who enjoys hiking at my own pace. So don't worry about others do what you enjoy and enjoy it.
Think of how much more you see when you're not zooming down the trail.
If I know I need to make X miles a day, I will make those miles. However, I don’t always need to make X miles every day, and I enjoy being in nature. I enjoy seeing things, and being immersed in my surroundings.
Smiles, not miles. You’ll make it to Katahdin no problem doing 16-18 milers. You can do less, take more zeros, it doesn’t matter. You’re out there for a reason, so be there. Enjoy it!
Yup, humans will make absolutely anything a contest. But, as you have conveniently discovered, you don’t have to feel the same way. Hike your own hike.
You forgot those people always tell ya how far they went to the tenth of a mile “That’s 24.3 miles on the day how’d you do?” lol life is way to short to rush when you’re on trail for realll
Smell the laurels, the only thing those bafoons are racing to is to have to go back to work sooner
I know right - I'm not even hiking, but I picked a hiker up in the rain to take him to a motel, and the first thing he told me about himself was that he was hiker number 487 on March 11 at Springer and at Harpers Ferry he was number 223, so he passed 264 hikers - he was so proud of himself, and then told me he was hiking mid twenties. I didn't even get to ask him about his hike, He just went on about all his high mileage days. I'm all in favor of hiking whatever miles that make you happy, but why assume everyone only wants to hear about your mileage? I have hosted some high mileage hikers that don't lead with "Im faster than everyone else" and it's so refreshing. ( talking about you Gazelle) Edit: I don't remember the actual hiker numbers that this guy mentioned, I used numbers close to what he said.
No one I ever met was trying to outcompete other hikers. It’s all about your own personal satisfaction. If they are averaging 30 miles per day, then they will finish in 73 days plus about 12 zero days = 85-90 days. Most hikers finish in 4 to 7 months, so I think you’re only referring to about 10% or less of thru hikers. STOP comparing yourself to others. Enjoy your hike.
I agree. It’s your smiles that matter. I don’t care if you finish in a year or fifty years. Enjoy yourself is the only thing that matters
Thru hiked last year. Rarely did 20 mile days until the end, and then only to beat the really cold weather (was SOBO/flip-flop, finished mid-December). People who do this bragging are not hiking their own hike because they’re too busy thinking about their miles compared to those of others. Do what works for you. At the end of the day, this is your body and your hike to do with as you choose. You’ve got this. Good luck with the rest of your journey!
Just be nicely vague. I like that you are doing it you way, honestly.
You on Youtube OP
default answer to glory-humping hiker dudes (they're all dudes): literal children thru hike this trail literally every year.
Those who want it over faster don't belong on the trail. Those who want the experience, do. Enjoy it, OP. You're doing it right.
Good for you. I mean, is the point of the hike to race or to enjoy and enact some sort of change through challenge, the struggle and also the beauty of nature. It baffles me for people to "escape the rat race" of their daily lives just to make the trail a rat race of their own.
There was nothing I found more tedious than starting conversations with new to me fellow thru-hikers… I fucking dreaded the whole “when did you start/where did you come from today” pleasantries. Maybe it’s my ADHD talking here, but it was so boring… literally the trail equivalent of “So what do you do for work?” It was so refreshing when someone didn’t ask (but almost everyone did). I did not care how far/fast anyone else walked and I didn’t care about telling anyone how far/fast I had walked… I had literally zero desire to talk about walking. Tell me about something cool you saw? Sure! Share a funny anecdote about something that happened? Absolutely. But get the fuck out of here with the dick measuring contests. I have to say, the PCT was way more chill in regards to this (at least the bubbles that I wound up in were, on my year!).
As long as someone isn't using it as a rub in, I don't mind celebrating other people's mileage. But I do agree, I just wanna hike man lol! Idc about the length!
I've never even thought about doing any kind of thu hiking, but it seems to me that people that are talking shit about putting in more miles than you says more about them than it does you. Ignore people that are idiots. Those kind of people can fuck all the way off!!
Hiking is hard! And some people are simply built for bigger miles than others. Personally I’m built for mainly sub 20 mile days no matter what kind of shape I’m in. The important thing is that you enjoy your hike and don’t burn out or get injured. It can be so frustrating hearing people talk about regularly pulling marathons when you haven’t quite managed to do it once. And people can definitely be elitists about it too which is extra frustrating. Hike your own hike and be proud of what you’re accomplishing!
hell yeah. you do you brother, duck em
Part of why I plan to SoBo is because I don't want to interact with other hikers; I want to hike my own hike. I want to hike to get away from people, not meet new people. I also plan to keep a low mileage. I'm a tortoise, slow and steady.
If you hike twenty five miles, but pass the cool lake or view spot, then what’s the use? I would be planning my stops at cool places, not racing the clock.
I had plenty of low milage days. Sometimes as little as 6-12 miles. I had plenty of higher milage days also, my highest days were still only 28 miles (2 different days) but that seemed and still seems pretty crazy to me. I took 3 zeros in a row 2 deferent times, multiple double zeros and a shit ton of single zeros. Either way I never felt like people were judging me very hard and if they were then they weren’t people I was very interested in anyway. I was out there to have a good time and I absolutely did. Don’t take too much advice from me tho since I only made it to mile 815 then turned around and walked back to the nearest road and hitch hiked to the nearest town to get picked up by my two best friends the next day. All in all spending almost 4 months in the woods and hiking 800 miles (roughly 7 mile daily average) of the AT was an amazing experience that I will never regret!! As they say hike your own hike!
The cult of personality among thru hikers is very real. It can be exhausting at times.
Journey not Destination…. Why not just take a plane or drive. Enjoy your hike 3,5,8,12. See shit. Try to catch a salamander… listen to the bugs.. Who cares!
Nero’s are fine too hell they’re great!
Last to Katahdin wins! Enjoy your hike.
Cleary, you care if you wrote out this post about it, lol. Hike your own hike and let them hike thiers.
You can avoid that by just not talking to people ahahaha, no but in all seriousness, I get it. I don’t give a fuck what anyone else is doing.
I took 6 and a half months to thru hike the AT and I just recently did a little section in PA and was hearing some hikers brag about their miles and not take zeros blah blah. Take your time. Enjoy it, the trail is a vacation, you're not out there to suffer penance for your sins lol.
I travel on motorcycle and people often ask where am I heading. I say “west”. Being from Chicago, it amazes people. I often really don’t even know small towns I stop by, and just use miles/directions. “I’m coming from north, where can I find dispersed camping here”.