Date: 2009-10-04
To: Ingredients For A Successful Thru Hike
Miles today: 0.0

As Tag-along and I planned our AT thru hike we felt determined, yet not over confidant, that we could finish the entire trail. Appalachian Trail Conservancy statistics for the past six years document an average thru hiker completion rate of just 26%. With this sobering reality in mind, we planned some strategies that might increase our odds of success. Several unplanned decisions that helped us reach Katahdin emerged as well. Here are six tactics that supported our making it all the way.Get In Condition To HikeOne year before our thru hike, Tag-along and I scheduled time to exercise regularly. This included joining the YMCA, biking, road walking, and hiking. We are fortunate to live in the north Georgia Mountains, so ascending and descending local trails became routine. Looking back, starting out on Springer Mountain in reasonable physical shape was very helpful and may have reduced the possibility of injury. We¢ve read on hiking forums that preconditioning isn¢t critical because the first several weeks of walking the trail will get you in shape. While that may be true, starting with a solid foundation of physical conditioning ensured a more confident start for us. We were able to increase our mileage earlier than some.Test Lightweight GearTag-along and I encountered extreme weather conditions along the way. Examples include ice, snow, low visibility, cold temperatures, record rainfall, and severe wind. There was never a moment, however, when we felt we were in danger. During the year before our thru hike, we committed ourselves to selecting and testing gear during section hikes, in turn determining what works well for us. Weight was always a consideration when selecting gear. Our clothing and gear performed beautifully, instilling confidence that we could handle whatever Mother Nature sent our way.Reading about others¢ gear choices on Trail Journals was particularly helpful as we planned our thru hike. Whiteblaze, Practical Backpacking, and Backpacking Light were three other web sites that offered a wealth of useful information. Winton Porter, the proprietor of Mountain Crossings Outfitter (Neels Gap), helped us generally understand a lightweight and effective layered clothing system needed to thru hike. Rest Overuse InjuriesIn spite of preconditioning efforts, many hikers that we encountered experienced symptoms of injury due to overuse. The odds of an overuse injury are high due to the level of wear and tear thru hiking imposes on the body. In Tennessee, I pulled a tendon. Our hiking partner, Mountain Man, experienced shin splints in the early stages of his hike. In each case the decision was the same - stop hiking, rest for several days, and give the injury a chance to recover. Using ice treatments on and off while elevating the injured area seemed to help greatly as well.We met hikers that continued to hike after developing an overuse injury, hoping to ¢walk it off¢. Some had to come off the trail permanently. Stopping to nurse an injury, while hiking friends continue up the trail, is extremely difficult. Nevertheless, we believe that resting an overuse injury is critical if one is to get to Maine. Track Progress Using Short Range Mileage GoalsThe sheer enormity of walking 2178 miles can be overwhelming, making it difficult to feel a sense of progress. Some thru hikers measure advancement toward Katahdin by checking off each state along the way. The problem is trail distances differ from state to state. One fourth of the Appalachian Trail lies in Virginia. Tag-along and I found it helpful to track our progress in one hundred mile increments. One hundred miles always seemed doable. A hundred miles can often be accomplished in about one week. By tracking our progress using short-range mileage goals, rather than the number of states completed, we felt an ongoing sense of getting there.Love Your FeetTag-along and I witnessed some nasty blister problems among hikers met along the way. Thankfully, we took several proactive steps that helped us avoid getting blisters. At the first sign of any hot spot, we routinely stopped, removed shoes and socks, and taped the irritated area. It is easy to justify moving on and take care of the problem during a later break. Our section hike experience taught us that it doesn¢t take long for hot spots to turn into blisters. Many hikers on the trail use duct tape for blister prevention. A better option is Leukotape P Sports Tape, a Rayon-backed tape with a zinc oxide adhesive.Finding hiking shoes that worked well, and then breaking in several pairs before our hike, contributed to avoiding blister problems. We had success wearing both Montrail Hardrock (pre ¢09) and Salomon trail runners. The more we moved up the trail, the more we appreciate the importance of walking with shoes roomy in the front area, ensuring that on long down hill stretches toes do not hit.Removing shoe and socks periodically through the day to dry feet was helpful. We soaked our feet in cold streams on days that they hurt, and often iced them while in town.Organize Home Support Hiking day after day presents constant challenges ¢ both physically and mentally. Feeling confident that trustworthy friends and family were responsibly taking care of things back home allowed us to focus totally on hiking.Walt Hodges, our house sitter, took great care of our home and pets, managed food drops and gear exchanges, and made sure that our vehicles were driven from time to time. Other friends supported us as well. Craig Davoulas took care of paying bills and Roger Kilgore mowed the lawn. Family members provided continuous support and encouragement. Tag-along and I are grateful to have been backed by a supportive team back home. Each played an important role in our success through ensuring that we could focus totally on the important task at hand ¢ making it to Katahdin.In our next journal entry we will discuss our gear ¢ what worked and what didn¢t.