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[at-l] re: a little perspective

ok, i read the post now.  just some observations.

when i was planning my hike, the ATC and other hikers were telling me that
a 5 month hike was "average," refering to the time to complete the trail.
i do not know if this has increased or not.

anyway, in 92, my hike took EXACTLY 5 months, 3/13 - 8/12.  that's 2143
miles in 142 days - 15 miles per day.  there were many faster hikers than
i, many doing roughly the same pace, and many slower.  the only perspective
i do not have from 92 is that i started early and finished early, and was
therefore ahead of the bulk of thruhikers.  i did hitch back for trail
days, so i got a sense of what other hikers were doing/experiencing, but i
don't have the benefit of reading all their register entries.  i'd say my
hike was "average".  if i'm off here, 92ers, please correct me.

i certainly never felt myself to be a power hiker, and never once did i
suffer from rosie's 3Ms.  big mileage days left me exhausted, usually in a
content way, sometimes in a completely out-of-gas way.  i had to work very
hard.  early in the hike, big miles were 14+, later they were 20+, both
leaving me feeling the same at the end of the day due to the status of my
conditioning.

now curious george is virtually duplicating, shelter for shelter, the
begining of my hike in 92.  while i admit that seems like alot in the early
stages, there are others that are and will be doing alot more.  hey, i
learned my lesson from an 18 mile day from neels gap to blue mtn.  left me
with mild tendonitis for over a week.  never again.  i get a sense from
jason's entries that he is working hard for his miles, too.  let's hope he
has more sense than i did - and there's a good chance of that being an AT-Ler.

anyway, it seems as if curious george in on pace for an "average" hike.

mike
ke kaahawe

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