Average miles per hour on the AT in the SNP?

I have never stepped foot on the AT but I plan on starting taking it section by section in April or May starting in the SNP. Right now the plan is to start from Front Royal and work south doing a couple of 2 or 3 day hikes this year.

Anyway... as part of my planning process I was wondering if anyone has some pointers to information about the average miles per hour hiked in the SNP for someone of average hiking fitness. Right now I am planning on 2 MPH and doing 8 or 10 hour days (with plenty of breaks for sightseeing/resting).

2 miles seems like a decent goal... Most people fluctuate back and forth, sometimes doing 8 miles a day other days covering 20-25 miles a day... Just depends on the terrain, and your exhaustion level...

If you're going to do 2-3 day backpacks in SNP, you can travel 2-4 mph no problem. The problem will be the side trails and great campsites that you will find! If you're willing to put in 8-10 hour days, you will see a lot. Just be sure to explore... SNP has a lot of trails.

whatever you do, do not push yourself the first day, otherwise you will pay for it the rest of your trip.

be sure to stop and have an overpriced meal too--they're great and usually worth every penny when you're on trail! the 'shennies will be busy that time of year, so you'll run into some northbound hikers.

have fun!

I am somewhat torn by whether or not to do some side trails on the way. I have never hiked on the AT but I have done a large number of the side trails in SNP over the years. When I went to JMU I used to drive up to the park all the time to go hiking (it was only 30 minutes to the entrance station from my house). I think initially I need to figure out my overall pace on the trail before I plan too many side trips, especially if I am arranging pickups on the trail as opposed to doing an out and back hike.

The couple times I've gone thru the Smoky National Park I was only able to go about 1 to 1.5 mph. I'm pretty slow, but at the time I was in good shape.

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Originally Posted by Brute1100

2 miles seems like a decent goal... Most people fluctuate back and forth, sometimes doing 8 miles a day other days covering 20-25 miles a day... Just depends on the terrain, and your exhaustion level...

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2 miles per hour Is good. Number of hours depends on feet and knees, not on exhaustion. I'd suggest not doing a lot more per day than you are actually doing on weekend days before your hike. I made that mistake on my first section hike, doing 20+ miles on my second day. It took 2 weeks for my knee to recover.

I'm also a fan of at least an hour break in the middle of the day to let joints recover.

If you work up to 15 mile Saturday hikes, doing 100 miles a week is achievable in a section hike. :shades:

I went through SNP as a thru-hiker and I could count on 2.5 mph including all breaks (8 hours = 20 miles). But as a weekend section hiker I would expect to cover 1.5 - 2.0 mph.

The trail and terrain look very different when hiking is no longer your full-time job!

Last July, I lead a group of 7 from Front Royal to Big Meadows (46.2 miles) in 5 days.
We averaged approx 1.5 - 2 mph & it made for a nice, enjoyable distance each day.

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Originally Posted by affreeman

I went through SNP as a thru-hiker and I could count on 2.5 mph including all breaks (8 hours = 20 miles). But as a weekend section hiker I would expect to cover 1.5 - 2.0 mph.

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I agree about the average speed for an average weekend hiker. I did the SNP about 5 or 6 years ago with my AT thru-hiker daughter (she thru'd a couple of years before). Our longest day was 20 miles, but that was slack-packed to Big Meadows Lodge.

I don't see any way an average hiker could average 4 MPH or 25 MPD, but that's just me. I MIGHT start off a morning at 3 MPH, but breaks and lunch stops really eat into the effective rate, plus by the end of the day I'm going slow. At 15 miles late afternoon or early evening, I'm not really feeling like doing another 10 miles. At least, not if I want to enjoy the experience. I think we took 6.5 days to do the 108 miles or so (and 3 days were slack-packing), and we hiked into the evenings more than once. I'm just slow, I guess.
:D
Rain Man

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I would be happy, I think, to be able to average something on the order of 12 to 16 miles per day. Initially I was thinking about doing Front Royal to Thornton Gap (sections 1 and 2) in two days (one night) which is about 27 miles.

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Originally Posted by cvitter

I have never stepped foot on the AT but I plan on starting taking it section by section in April or May starting in the SNP. I was wondering if anyone has some pointers to information about the average miles per hour hiked in the SNP for someone of average hiking fitness. Right now I am planning on 2 MPH and doing 8 or 10 hour days (with plenty of breaks for sightseeing/resting).

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A couple years ago I hiked north from Amicalola Falls to Hot Springs, including the GSNP. This took me three weeks. I found that in the first two weeks, I could reliably plan for 1.5 MPH, including all my stops for water, snacks, rest, photos, chats with other hikers, admiring views, checking guidebooks, etc. So ... a 12 mile day took about 8 hours from leaving camp in the morning until arriving in camp at night; a 15 mile day took about 10 hours, and so on.

In my third week of hiking, as my "hiking legs" kicked in, I started to approach 2.0 MPH including all stops and delays, with a 20 mile day in 10 hours on my last day on trail.

I would think you could assume that you will hike at 2.0 MPH when actually hiking, and plan based on that figure and what you think your stops and delays might come to.

Ok, so far I think that the general consensus is that my mileage goals are probably reasonable. That is a bit of a relief and will help me think through some of the mundane logistics like how I am going to get to and from my start and end points.

I hike a good bit in the Smokies, so a bit more elevation up and down than in the Shennies. I use 2 miles/hour for my general rule of thumb and it seems to hold pretty true. I go a bit faster downhill, but then I have to be careful not to jamb up toes or tweak knees--it works better if I take it slower.

A couple of years ago we did the SNP in June doing about 10-12 miles a day, and we are bunch of old, fat, out of shape guys. 8-10 is a good pace, you'll find on the SNP that some sections you'll make better going N-S (as we did), others you will grind pretty hard. Regardless, it's great hike to make. I'd love to do it again some day. PS, we were sufficiently in shape to do a 20 on the last day to walk out of the park as we were trying to gain some time for a one of our group that was walking on further south from the SNP. It almost killed us, but we did it. That was the most tired I have ever been in my life!

Sweeper

Start out at a comfortable rate with lots of breaks and you'll be at 3 mph before you know it

I always figured 2mph unless the wife wants to hold me up a dash by contantly "stoping and smelling the roses" and looking at stuff as you hike. When I am by myself I have cracked 3 to 3.5 but that is more into a force march if you really want to call it that. More enjoyable to slow down and not push it. :)

After you get done hiking the AT inside SNP, be sure to go back and hike the side trails. SNP has a lot to see, but most of it isn't on the AT.

Thru hikers **HAVE ** to hike a certain number of miles average every day, or they won't make it before winter sets in. Hiking a section you can afford to slow down and enjoy yourself.

Enjoy.

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Originally Posted by UncleClark

SNP has a lot to see, but most of it isn't on the AT.
Enjoy.

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I have done a lot of the side trails over the years. Not all of them of course because most of hiking in the SNP has been from Swift Run Gap north to Front Royal. I grew up visiting Big Meadow and Sky Land lodges during the summer and in college I used to drive up from Harrisonburg at least once a month year round to hike. Its only recently (after quite a few years away from the park) that I decided I wanted to try the AT through the park.

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Originally Posted by cvitter

I have never stepped foot on the AT but I plan on starting taking it section by section in April or May starting in the SNP. Right now the plan is to start from Front Royal and work south doing a couple of 2 or 3 day hikes this year.

Anyway... as part of my planning process I was wondering if anyone has some pointers to information about the average miles per hour hiked in the SNP for someone of average hiking fitness. Right now I am planning on 2 MPH and doing 8 or 10 hour days (with plenty of breaks for sightseeing/resting).

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Since you are still planning and doing section hikes, I might suggest you plan your hikes South to North unless you like up hill hiking.
Reason, Big Meadow to Mathews Arm is all up and down and not critical, but if you hike North during the last 10 miles toward Front Royal you be going more down hill and with the flow of other hikers.
Your timing seems right - it gets too hot for me starting in June.
Also, go with the weather forecast more than a calendar date. No need to mention bear safety - just hang your food items.

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Originally Posted by oldpappy

Since you are still planning and doing section hikes, I might suggest you plan your hikes South to North unless you like up hill hiking.
Reason, Big Meadow to Mathews Arm is all up and down and not critical, but if you hike North during the last 10 miles toward Front Royal you be going more down hill and with the flow of other hikers.
Your timing seems right - it gets too hot for me starting in June.
Also, go with the weather forecast more than a calendar date. No need to mention bear safety - just hang your food items.

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Thanks Oldpappy, I was actually starting to think that going South to North might be a good idea. I just have to figure out the logistics of getting to and from wherever it is I decide to set off from. And I am definitely planning to start based on the weather. Fortunately I have some flexibility with my schedule at the moment as far as being able to take time off.

Best advice I ever got was while hiking in Peru at high altitude. The Peruvian guide told me "The slower you walk, the faster you'll get there." It's hard but I've tried to heed that advice ever since and have reeped various rewards as a result.

In the Shennies and the Smokies I always seemed to "average" about 2mph, somtimes a little more.

Miguel

I agree with everybody else on 2mph. I often hike at 3mph but by the time I eat, stop for views and so on it equals 2mph. I plan on hiking the central and northern sections NOBO over five days from 6/1-6/5. I figure if I get on the trail mid morning on 6/1 I should be off the trail no later than the evening of 6/5. If I have good weather and things go well I could be in Front Royal by 6/4. I have always enjoyed hiking with thru hikers and around that time of June I should have plenty of company. One more thing about pace is during the summer I will move a little quicker but stop for water more often God blessed me with open pours so I figure .5 liters of water per hour and plan my breaks around that as best as I can. We all know water is heavy and if I can keep it down to carrying 1.5 liters or less on my back ( especially downhill ) I do it.

I actually time myself during my trail runs so I know what a 2, 2.5, and 3 mph pace feels like. My Saturday hike is a 7.5 mile out and back which I do in 2 hours 45 minutes which puts me just above 2.5 mph. I can do 3 mph but only for about an hour and then I'm beat. 2mph feels a bit slow to me. I only do that on steep uphills.

I find that there's a lot of advantage to being aware of your pace. If it's hot and I'm sweating I can sort of tell "Oh yeah, I'm hiking between 2.5 and 3 mph. I should slow down." The same thing happens when it's raining. I'm aware enough of my pace to try to slow down to avoid sweating when I'm trying to stay dry.

I also find that there's a huge mental barrier for me to get past after about 4 hours of hiking. I could theoretically do 25 miles in a single 10 hour day. But after 4 or 5 hours of walking, even with a half hour break, I just want to stop. I'm sure that if I trained to do that many hours I'd get use to it. But a 20+ mile day is a long way for me right now. It's one thing to get back to the truck after a 7 mile hike in under 3 hours and feeling great. It's quite another to get back to the truck after 3 hours and 7 miles and then thinking "OK, go do that again. Twice."

Depending on terrain of course, but flatish land with rolling hills I actually average 3.5 by myself... I know it's outside the norm but I have always been a fast walker... That's one reason why when I hike with a group I usually stick to second place... I don't like making people feel slow, or making people go faster than they are comfortable... I have a 26.2 marathon hike coming up this Sunday... So I'm used to going long distances with weight... But it took LOTS of training to get there...

All this talking about how fast to hike is killing me... I just want to get out and hike. I haven't managed to do any hikes longer than 5 miles yet. This weekend was beautiful but I took my dog with me and she pooped out after 3 miles... it was too warm for her.

I say hike at a pace you feel comfortable with. If you are breathing hard, then slow down. If you are sweating profusely, then slow down. If on the other hand you're getting passed by grandma on her rascal, then speed up. :D

If you are wanting to hike to exercise and loose weight, then hike at a vigorous pace that lets you still talk normally. If you are wanting to hike to just get out in the woods, then go at a pace you are comfortable with.

My hiking speed is around 3.5 mph on the mostly flat trails in my area, which is much faster than my typical strolling around town pace. Something about being in the woods invigorates me. Now if I could quit stopping to look at every little thing I could kill some serious mileage. :laugh:

I can average 3-4 depending on motivation. 4 is easy with 35lbs or less. 4mph is a 15min mile and about the average persons walking pace.

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Originally Posted by ataris121

I can average 3-4 depending on motivation. 4 is easy with 35lbs or less. 4mph is a 15min mile and about the average persons walking pace.

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Snipped from Wikipedia...

Although walking speeds can vary greatly depending on factors such as height, weight, age, terrain, surface, load, culture, effort, and fitness, the average human walking speed is about 5.0 kilometres per hour (km/h), or about 3.1 miles per hour (mph). Specific studies have found pedestrian walking speeds ranging from 4.51 kilometres per hour (2.80 mph) to 4.75 kilometres per hour (2.95 mph) for older individuals and from 5.32 kilometres per hour (3.31 mph) to 5.43 kilometres per hour (3.37 mph) for younger individuals; [2][3] a brisk walking speed can be around 6.5 kilometres per hour (4.0 mph).

lol I guess my average is from the people I deal with most often, military. Im doing a 10k in <1.5hrs once a week with a 35lb pack over easy terrain. about a 14:15 to 14:30 pace. My pack runs heavy when I hike ~50lbs and i manage 20min/mile 3mph or faster over medium terrain. Nothing beats a 30lb pack 45lbs of body armor and 12lbs of weapon doing 5mph over rugged terrain in 120degree heat to get you in shape for hiking.

I think when planning mileage for any trip, the two biggest factors that need to be considered are 1). What is your body conditioned for and 2). What is the purpose of your hike?

I recognize the need to estimate distance for resupply, etc., but I also believe if you are not used to multi-day backpacking trips (even if you do overnighters all the time or do dayhikes all the time with a daypack), then the focus needs to be on not killing your body, because it will take a toll very quickly when you're not used to getting up and hiking day after day with a loaded pack. Yup, you can probably do 20 miles your first day, but doing that even 3 days in a row can make you miserable if you're not conditioned for it. Who wants to come home from the trip they've been planning for months with the biggest memory being pain?

So if you don't backpack all of the time, my advice is to never plan a multi-day trip with any day being longer (mileage-wise) than you're used to going on day hikes, and preferably plan shorter days than you normally do on day hikes, as the recovery time your body needs from day to day is much different when you're carrying a loaded backpack. (age is a factor too...as a 22 year old guy will probably have faster recovery times than a 45 year old man)

The other thing I recommend is asking yourself what purpose this trip is serving for you. Is it to just get into the hiking zone and pound out the miles (some people really enjoy this) or do you envision yourself taking lots of break and really observing/enjoying scenery, stopping and talking to people, stopping to take lots of pictures, etc.? Your mileage planning should really be more about being kind to your body as well as honoring the true kind of hiker you are (constantly moving type or frequently stopping type) while considering your resupply needs which aren't really an issue in SNP.