HIKE PLAN B Full

TRAIL HIKING PLAN B

NOTE: Flexibility is key for a hassle free hike.

The love of the hike and adventure, and not the schedule.

 

Hiking plan A is built to complete 1/3 of the miles, 728.6 miles, by the middle of April. I do not believe I will be able to accomplish that. I have come up with a plan B. Plan B will be based on hiking 7 to 8 hours a day. I will try to keep it closer to 7 hours a day. The length will depend on where there is water and camping areas. In this plan the first week will be the same as plan A as it isn’t that difficult. I will also still plan to average a zero day every week. If necessary I might give up a zero day to try and get closer to 1/3 the miles before the middle of April. What ever my location is on the trail I will plan to head home around April 15th, 2016.

 

Total miles of trail: 2186. Note that the app shows 2189.2 miles. Official quotes state is as 2186 miles.

Divided in three parts: 728.6 miles.

Start February 22, 2016.

Section 1: Springer, Georgia to ___________________.

Section 2: __________________ to Kent, NY. 1467 miles. Fly out of JFK.

Section 3: Kent, NY., 1467 miles, to Baxter Peak, Katahdin, Maine. 2,189.2 miles.

 

Figure 14 miles a day. At 7 hours that is 2 miles an hour. One day off a week. 84 miles a week. With hiking at this slower rate I will finish in September, 2016.

 

WEEK 1:

 

FOOD GROUP 1. Days 1-7. 7 days. Includes zero day at end.

 

Day 1: Feb. 22, 2016. Monday. Drop off to Springer is 1 mile. Springer: N34.626705 W084.193848. Springer to Horse Gap parking 10.5 miles on trail. Horse Gap parking: N34.655613 W084.105659. Total day distance is 11.5 miles. The first week I am going to do less than 18 miles per day to get conditioned.

 

Day 2: Feb. 23. Lance Creek Restoration Area. N34.707863 W083.984970. 24.4 miles. 13.9 for day.

 

Day 3: Feb. 24. Cowlick Mountain. N34.721588 W083.856453. 36.8 miles. 12.4 for day.

 

Day 4: Feb. 25.m Blue Mountain shelter. N34.817234 W083.766769. 50.5 miles. 13.7 for day.

 

Day 5: Feb. 26. Addis Gap. 64.1 miles. N34.863258 W083.65029. 13.6 for today.

 

Day 6: Feb. 27. Dicks Creek Gap. 69.6 miles. N34.912163 W083.618896. 5.5 for day. .5 miles to Top of Georgia Hostel. Will spend two nights there in Hiawassee.

 

Day 7: Feb. 28, Sunday. Zero day 1. Visit Hiawassee. Hiawassee Budget Inn. 193 South Main Street, 706 896-4121. PJ. Shuttle: 9, 11, 2 or 3, 5 or 6. Also Unicoi Gap. $40 cash, $45 CC. $10 box.

 

FOOD GROUP 2. days 8-18. 11 days.

 

WEEK 2:

 

Day 8: Feb. 29. Muskrat Creek Shelter. 81.4 miles. N35.020706 W083.581444. 11.8 for today.

 

Day 9: Mar. 1, 2016. Betty Creek Gap. 97.6 miles. N35.028320 W083.478477. 16.2 for day.

 

Day 10: Mar. 2. Tent site & stream. 110.8 miles. N35.122677 W083.556824. 13.2 for day.

 

Day 11: Mar. 3. Cold Spring Shelter. 125.6 miles. N35.231323 W083.559677. 14.8 for day.

 

Day 12: Mar. 4. Nantahala Outdoor Center. 137.1 miles. N35.331223 W083.591896. 11.5 for day. Stay at hostel if available. Eat at restaurant. (This stop is one day behind plan A hike. On plan A was here on Day 11.)

 

Day 13: Mar. 5. Brown Fork Gap Shelter. 153.1 miles. N35.374058 W083.733849. 16 for day. (This was day 12 on plan A.)

 

Day 14: Mar. 6, Sunday. Fontana Dam Shelter. 165.6 miles. N35.448494 W083.794128. 12.5 for day.

 

WEEK 3:

 

Day 15: Mar 7. Russell Field Shelter. 179.8 miles. N35.561657 W083.766464. 14.2 for day.

 

Day 16: Mar 8. Siler’s Bald Shelter. 194.8 miles. N35.5644274 W083.568153. 15 for day.

 

Day 17: Mar 9. Newfound Gap. 207.3 miles. N36.611187 W083.425255. 12.5 for day. (This stop is two days behind plan A hike. On plan A was here on Day 15.)

 

Day 18: Mar 10. Zero day 2. Gatlinburg, TN. or Cherokee, NC. Ship supplies to zero day city. App refers to Gatlinburg. (This was day 16 on plan A.)

 

FOOD GROUP 3. Days 19-24. 6 days.

 

Day 19: Mar 11. Tri-Corner Knob Shelter. 222.9 miles. N35.693832 W083.256569. 15.6 for day. (This stop is two days behind plan A hike. On plan A was here on Day 17.)

 

Day 20: Mar. 12. Davenport shelter. 237.7 miles. N35.769577 W083.123268. 14.8 for day. (This stop is two days behind plan A hike. On plan A was here on Day 18.)

 

Day 21: Mar. 13. Sunday. Ground Creek Shelter. 248.3 miles. N35.781689 W083.026230. 10.6 for day.

 

WEEK 4:

 

Day 22: Mar. 14. Cat pen Gap. 262.8 miles. N35.837231 W082.919937 14.5 for day.

 

Day 23: Mar. 15. Hot Springs, NC. 274.6 miles. N35.892399 W082.828049. 11.8 for day. (This stop is three days behind plan A hike. On plan A was here on Day 20.)

 

Day 24: Mar. 16. Zero Day 3. Stay at Hot Springs. (This was day 21 on plan A.)

 

FOOD GROUP 4. Days 25-33. 9 Days.

 

Day 25. Mar. 17. Spring Mountain Shelter. 285.4 miles. N35.951790 W082.790001. 10.8 for day.

 

Day 26. Mar. 18. Jerry’s Cabin shelter. 300.8 miles. N36.056606 W082.657120. 15.4 for day.

 

Day 27. Mar. 19. Hogback Ridge Shelter. 316.0 miles. N35.964081 W082.587128. 15.2 for day.

 

Day 28. Mar. 20. Sunday. Whistling Gap. 329.5 miles. N36.018631 W082.436859. 13.5 for day.

 

WEEK 5:

 

Day 29. Mar. 21. Uncle Johnny’s Hostel. 343.0 miles. N36.105637 W082.448456. 13.5 for day. (This stop is four days behind plan A hike. On plan A was here on Day 25.)

 

Day 30. Mar. 22. Cherry Gap Shelter. 360.0 miles. N36.129288 W082.263870. 17 for day. (This stop is four days behind plan A hike. On plan A was here on Day 26.)

 

Day 31. Mar. 23. Ash Gap. 375.7 miles. N36.114784 W082.135323. 15.7 for today.

 

Day 32. Mar. 24. US 19E. 393.8 miles. N36.177357 W082.011642. 18.1 for day. (This stop is four days behind plan A hike. On plan A was here on Day 28.)

 

Day 33. Mar. 25. Zero day 4. Mountain Harbour Hostel. .5 miles to west. City Roan Mountain to west, Elk Park to east. (This stop is four days behind plan A hike. On plan A was here on Day 29.)

 

FOOD GROUP 5. Days 34-40. 6 days.

 

Day 34. Mar. 26. Tent site. 409.8 miles. N36.217285 W082.058411. 16 for day.

 

Day 35. Mar. 27. Pond Flats. 424.2 miles. N36.282429 W082.118690. 14.4 for today.

 

WEEK 6:

 

Day 36. Mar. 28. Tent site & Spring. 440.1 miles. N36.406227 W082.018616. 15.9 for today.

 

Day 37. Mar. 29. Abingdon Gap Shelter. 458.9 miles. N36.580978 W081.901711. 18.8 for day. (This stop is four days behind plan A hike. On plan A was here on Day 33.) Maybe stop at Queens Knob Shelter. 457.5 miles.

 

Day 38. Mar. 30. Damascus, VA. 469.1 miles. N36.635025 W081.789215. 10.2 for day. (This stop is four days behind plan A hike. On plan A was here on Day 34.)

 

Day 39. Apr. 1. Zero day 5. Damascus, VA. (This stop is four days behind plan A hike. On plan A was here on Day 35.)

 

FOOD GROUP 6. Days 41-51. 11 Days.

 

Day 40. Apr. 2. Lost Mountain Shelter. 484.9 miles. N36.644394 W081.655876. 15.8 for day.

 

Day 41. Apr. 3. Sunday. Many Camp sites. 498.2 N36.656414 W081.524246. 13.3 for today. Get water at Thomas Knob Shelter. 497.3 miles, .9 miles before camp.

 

WEEK 7:

 

Day 42. Apr. 4. Hurricane Shelter or Hurricane Shelter tenting. 512.6 miles. N36.714287 W081.509911. 14.4 for today.

 

Day 43. Apr. 5. Partnership Shelter. 531.5 miles. N36.809525 W081.422371. 18.9 for today.

 

Day 44. Apr. 6. Campsite. 544.5 miles. N36.904220 W081.371826. 13 for today. (This stop is five days behind plan A hike. On plan A was here on Day 40.)

 

Day 45. Apr. 7. Campsite. 562.7 miles. N37.031288 W081.422829. 18.2 for today. Water .2 miles ahead at 562.9 miles. (This stop is five days behind plan A hike. On plan A was here on Day 41.)

 

Day 46. Apr. 8. Jenkins Shelter. 577.1 miles. N37.093422 W081.247658. 14.4 for today. (This stop is five days behind plan A hike. On plan A was here on Day 42.)

 

Day 47. Apr. 9. Halves Mill Shelter. 592.4 miles. N37.130795 W081.102989. 15.3 for today.

 

Day 48. Apr. 10. Sunday. Campsite. 606.3 miles. N37.160221 W080.924622. 13.9 for today.

 

WEEK 8:

 

Day 49. Apr. 11. Tent site. 621.1 miles. N37.245800 W080.850098. 14.8 for today.

 

Day 50. Apr. 12. Pearisburg: 634.9 miles. N37.333065 W080.750381. 13.8 for today. Stay at Plaza Motel. 540 921-2591. For trip: 12.449 miles/day, including zero days.

 

Day 51. Apr. 13. Travel to Richmond.

 

Day 52. Apr. 14. Fly home.

______________________________________

 

On Hike Plan A: 92.9 more miles than Hike Plan B.: Plan A: Day 51. Apr. 13. Daleville. 727.8 miles. N37.393829 W079.906586. 18.8 for today. Spend night. For trip: 14.0 miles/day, including zero days.

Talked to a Thru Hiker who did the hike

A couple days ago I talked with a Thru Hiker that hiked the entire AT trail. It was very encouraging to me and answered some questions I had. Here are some facts about his hike that he shared.

 

He hiked by himself. He said you meet plenty of people and hike with others. No problem starting by your self.

Started Feb. 29th. He was the 139th to start

Fished July 29th. 5 months to the day. He was the 29th to finish for the year.

You also register at Smokey National park, Shenadona Park, and Harper's Ferry. At Harper's Ferry you get your picture taken.

He took one week off when his wife came out. They did some sight seeing. While taking the time off he said he just wanted to get back hiking.

He averaged 17 1/2 miles per day.

He started with a tent. After 4 1/2 weeks he sent it back. He spent most nights in a AT shelter. He had a 1 pound tarp that he used if he needed to. His tent weighted over 7 pounds.

He started with a 55 pound pack which some times got to 60 pounds.

He started weigh 200 pounds. At the end he weighted 156 pounds. He took him a long time to gain back his lost weight. Toward the end of the hike he would buy a can of cake icing and eat the whole thing in one sitting. He said he could do it now, but it tasted so good then. He craved the food and calories.

Out of the 150 days he was on the trail it rained in some form 105 of those days.

You do not have to ship out fuel for my stove. You can buy it all along the trail.

You get to know the group you are hiking around. You leave notes for each other and keep running into each other.

He was flexible on zero days. If you got in town in the middle of the day you wouldn't want to spend a whole day the next day doing nothing. There isn't anything to do on zero days, so you get anixous to get hiking again.