I HIKED 500 MILES ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL. I was on the trail from March 11, 2016 to April 14, 2016; 35 days. That is 14.29 miles per day. I took 4 zero days, so I had 31 hiking days. That is 16.13 miles per day considering only hiking days. 35 days is exactly 5 weeks. That makes 100 miles per week. I feel very good about my pace.
LINDA MY WIFE: I want to thank Linda for being a support and helping me make this adventure happen. She sent me out before she was fully recovered from her surgery. She has also needed my help with taking care of her father, which I wasn't here. And of course, all of my responsibilities which I left for her.
MY PLAN A: This was my faster plan. I was suppose to reach 500 miles on April 16. I reached 500 miles on April 14. Two day ahead of my fast rate plan. I didn't take two zero days so I could be home sooner. That explains the two days earlier. In other words I am right on my fast plan A.
GPS APP: Guthooks app. This is the GPS app that I am using. There are 9 different map sections that you load. The first two take you to Damascus. So, I have covered two of the nine sections. Pretty good.
WEIGHT: Most people lose weight while hiking the AT. So did I. When I left I weighed about 183 pounds. I didn't check. Wish I had. When I got home I weighed 171 pounds. I lost a little more than 10 pounds. Yes, my clothes got looser while hiking. Fortunately I had a Boy Scout slip belt which I could easily adjust. The neat thing about hiking so much is that when you are in a town you can eat what ever you want. I would eat a pint of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and a box of Ding Dongs at each town. Loved it.😋
PEOPLE: When I started my hike my main concern was that there would be to many people. There are a lot of people. Much to my surprise, and delight it has been the opposite. The people are very different, but everyone accepts each other as thru hikers. They only want to know your trail name. They are very inclusive of everyone. I have really enjoyed the fellowship. I have never been in a more accepting group in my life. That includes the mission field. I will miss it. By the way, I am usually the quiet one, but no one cares. I enjoyed listening.
WEATHER: I had all kinds of weather except for hot dry. At the beginning in Georgia it was warm enough that I was sweating plenty. Then the weather started. I had to set my tent up while it was snowing. Also while it was raining. Had to take it down after being covered over night with snow. At Bald Mountain shelter it got below 20 degrees F. I got frost bite on my left thumb, which I am still feeling. It got that cold multiple nights. During the Smokies I walked in snow, slush, mud, and water. There were a lot of beautiful days. The last two days hiking in Virginia were perfect. Cool in the morning so I was wearing coat, gloves, and cap. Then warming up so I hiked in shorts.
TRAIL: All types of trails. I was surprised that some of the sections were in such bad shape. Some sections were as bad as any I have hike out west. Other sections were well maintained. The blazes made it easy to follow the trail. The trail is maintained by volunteers. I saw several groups working on the trail. The one thing really different from the west is that the first section of the AT doesn't have a lot of switch backs. It will hike right up the ridge. Some of those are brutally steep going up and down. In Georgia especially it seemed the trail builders wanted you to see the top of every bald the trail passed. I swear there were times the trail could have gone around the bald to get to the next gap and it would have been shorter and faster.
HIKING: First of all my hiking is much better than when I started. It isn't as labored. From medium grade climb or descent I can hold a comfortable pace. The extreme steep grades still do me in, and slow me down. I got them done though. I averaged about 2 mph at the end of the day. That includes any stopping. I feel very good about that.
The fastest I did was over 3 mph. It was raining, down hill, only 10 miles, and I was headed to a hostel with a warm shower. A lot of motivation as I was wet. 😬Pants wet from the rain, and torso wet from sweating under my rain jacket. I jogged down much of the trail.
There were faster and slower hikers than me. It was never a competition.
BOOTS: Where to start?
In Damascus there was a group of hikers, about 15, at a restaurant. We had hiked less than 500 miles. I asked how many had already changed out their shoes. More than half of them raised their hands. At the beginning of the hike I was told boots / shoes do not last past 500 miles. I wore mine for 500 miles, but they were only good for about 300 miles. By the way, I had put about 75 miles on them before I started the AT
If you wanted a pair of boots for about 300 to 400 miles of hiking these maybe would be okay, if they fit you right. They were Solomon.
I do know know some of the problems were my feet, and these boots weren't right for them.
Problems I had:
1. Within 100 miles on the trail the right boot got a leak in the front right. I found that out by walking on a rainy day in the puddles on the trail.
2. About 300 miles both boots got holes in the top material above the joint of the big toe.
3. About 400 miles the outer sides of the sole began peeling off.
4. The boots had a draw system for the shoe laces. Maybe helped sell shoes, but it just didn't work. When new I couldn't get it to release. Then after about 200 miles the laces wouldn't stay tight. I finally cut it off and tied them like normal laces. They were good laces.😊
5. My right foot hurt at the top of the ankle where the shoe would press when hiking on a sloped trail. I ended up not lacing all the way up. Don't know why it didn't effect my left foot.
6. My right long middle toe would smash against the boot when going downhill. Not sure there is a cure for that.
7. My big toe on my left foot was smashed, turned colored, and was very sensitive. I believe this happened because of the taping I had to do for my middle toes on my left foot.
8. My middle toes on my left foot was my biggest challenge with my feet. As I walked normal and rolled off the ball of my foot I would have a sharp pain in my middle toes. You can go back and read about it if you want. I ended up figuring how to fix it after 4 weeks. I believe the problem was because the toe box in the shoe was to small for me. Linda figured that out for me.
9. I also had some pain in my left heel. Not sure why. It would come and going during a hiking day.
I probably had 5 days total that all I had was sore feet. I expect sore feet every day. That soreness goes away in an hour or so after hiking. Most of the hike I had some pain. I was fortunate that it was never bad enough to stop me from hiking. I met several hikers that had to stop to let feet / leg problems heal. For example, shin splints (10 days and still recovering), internal blister (hadn't heard of that before), Achilles tendon.
Torn upper material
Sole falling apart
Draw system gone.
Swollen left foot and ankle
Goodby to a toe nail or two.
INJURES - PAINS: Already covered feet.
1. Both knees from going downhill. At first it was the left, then the right. I slipped and did a one leg squat with my right leg which bothered me for a couple weeks. Here is the strange thing. After a couple weeks my right knee would hurt as going downhill, but not the left. Then at night I would wake up with the left knee would hurt, but not the right. Strange.
2. Left thumb frost bit, and then deep split off thumbnail. Yes it still hurts.
3. After 3 1/2 weeks of my nose running every morning from the cold, and sometimes all day, my nose got chapped. I treated it with chap stick and it is better.
4. Yes, I did get some chafing from hiking. I kept on top of it with Destine and it never developed into a hindrance. I talked to many young male hikers that were having the problem. I gave them, and taught them about Destine. I was amazed they didn't know about Destine. They had never been around babies.
5. My left shoulder which has had problems for a couple years made it hard to put on my back pack. Oh well, that is life.
6. I would be sore and tired all over from hiking all day. Mostly out energy. I sure slept well.
7. Have to include this last one because of my love for my PLB. I carried my PLB in my back pack belt pouch. It is made of a mesh material. I would rub against it with my arm. Dang, I got a little rash from it.😝
8. It was interesting that pains would come, and then go. For example on the second to last day of my hike at about mile 10 my left shin started hurting. I thought shin splint. That is not good. I rubbed it, but that didn't help. I had to keep hiking. It was pretty painful. Well, after about 2 to 3 hours more of hiking the pain went away. I haven't had any problems since. I had multiple similar experiences.
Most hikers had aches and pains. One of the items of discussion. I am thankful that I never had any injures that made me take time off.
SHELTERS: Shelters are good and bad. On a rainy night it saves you having to put up a tent. But, they can be crowded. You also have to wait to get up in the morning. There is no privacy to change clothes. Over all,, if the weather is good I prefer my tent. In bad weather give me a shelter.
WHY 500: I decided to stop at 500 miles which got me home 6 days sooner than planned. Logistics is the reason. If I would have gone further it would have been more difficult to get to a city with transportation to a city with flight service. 500 miles had a better sound than 470 miles if I would have stopped in Damascus.
THRU vs SECTIONAL HIKERS: A THRU HIKER is one that hikes the entire AT in one year. A SECTIONAL HIKER is one that hikes the entire AT, but in several years.
RECOMMENDATION: I would not recommend hiking the AT to anyone because of the challenge and hardship. But, it is very rewarding if you are up to such a challenge.
FINAL SUMMARY: The AT is the right amount adventure for me. Probably not high enough adventure, or exciting enough for some of you. For me it was challenging, but still doable.
FINAL FEELINGS: For a long time I have wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail. It met and exceed my positive expectations. It didn't have to many people as I was concerned about because it was great to interaction. That was a surprise to me.
As one hiker told me. Because of being out with the pain as well as the good you feel more of life. I agree with that. I felt more of life.
This has been a great adventure for a life time for me. I loved the experience.
I would like to go back and finish the entire trail. Probably not as a thru hiker, but as a sectional hiker. That is more realistic for my life schedule.
FINAL TRAIL SELFY
Final trail section - headed back to Damascus
Home with my kids. Nothing is better for Papa!!
April 15, 2016
