[at-l] 2,000 + 167 + what?

[papabear.nyc@verizon.net (Papa Bear)]

Well on all my AT sections this year I kept track and got some interesting
numbers:

DWG to Kent:  AT=171.8, extra=9.75 or 5.7%
Kent to Manchester: AT=184.6, extra=6.7 or 3.6%
Manchester to Kinsman Notch: AT=147.6, extra=7.4 or 5%
Kinsman to Gorham: AT=90.9, extra=1.6 or 1.8%
Gorham to Stratton: AT=95.8, extra=17.5 or 18.3%

Total AT=690.7, extra=42.95 or 6.2%

What, you may say, was going on in Maine?  Well in Maine I made a point of
taking all the side trails to major peaks, which
included Goose Eye, Old Speck, Abraham, Sugarloaf and Redington.  It was
worth the extra miles.

And when I go back you can be sure I'll get The Hermitage, Gulf Hagas,
Antlers, White House Landing and anything else that seems inviting.

Take time to smell the roses!  You may never pass this way again.

Regards
Pb


Phil Heffington  Phil.Heffington@oc.edu writes
Tue, 10 Dec 2002 12:55:08 -0600

>Knowing that the "2,000 miler" designation for the trail by the ATC is call
>ed such because of tradition, and is about 170 miles short of the present a
>ctual distance, I wonder how many additional miles the average hiker probab
>ly covers from one end of the trail to another because of trips to shelters
>, off trail hiking to towns, scenic overlooks, etc.?
>
>Would you think that they add 100, 200, 300 or more miles to the average th
>ru-hike?  Whitley Gap shelter is what, 1=BC miles from the trail, while Mas
>hipacong shelter has to be walked around to stay on the trail.  This, of co
>urse, is of no great importance, unless you are deciding at the end of the
>day whether or not to stay at a particular shelter or go on a few hundred y
>ards and camp beside the trail.
>
>I wonder how many hikers make it a point to stop by as many shelters as pos
>sible, just to see what they are like, or to write in the journals, or to s
>top for a lunch break and/or take a nap, as they hike along each day.  I wa
>s once one of those hikers, but now hike past every shelter turn off along
>the way if it is not my final destination for the day.  I know it is an una
>nswerable question, but how many miles do you figure you added to the "offi
>cial" trail designaged miles?