AT Statistics

I'm a numbers guy. I collect statistics on my caloric intake, the mileage on my shoes and just about anything else that I deem quantifiable. Here are some basic stats from the hike:

Duration: 3 months, 28 days (121 days)

Started hiking: May 16th, 2011
Finished hiking: September 13th, 2011

2,181 / 121 days = 18.02 miles per day
2,181 / 117 days = 18.64 miles per day (only hiking days)

840th hiker to leave Amicalola Falls State Park (Georgia)
797th hiker to reach Harpers Ferry, roughly the half-way point (West Virginia)
312th hiker to reach - Baxter State Park, where Katahdin resides (Maine)
-Passed a total of 528 people from start to finish

Shoes:
Inov-8 X-Talon 212 - stellar treads, like a snow tire, minimalist support, good lacing system, sizing difficult, get 1/2 size larger.
Mileage: 0-135 = 135 miles

Brooks Cascadia 6 - loved this shoe. great tread, lasted almost 600 miles.
Mileage: 135-719.9 = 584.9

Vasque Mindbender - got a lot of mileage, decent tread, fit snug and firm but not too tight. form fitting. fairly lightweight
Mileage: 719.9-1285.3 = 565.4

Montrail AT + - great shank, really firm and solid on the PA rocks and roots. Crushed the top of my toes though.
Mileage: 1285.3-1440.1 = 154.8

Mizuno Wave Ascend 6 - comfortable shoe, I have two pairs of Elixir 4's with 1000 miles each. The tread only held up for 200 miles though, before it was falling off, not even wearing down.
Mileage: 1440.1-1739.2 = 299.1

Merrell ATR Seismic - the insole on the heel was too narrow for my foot, which when it grew slightly it rubbed up against the side, causing blisters and calluses to form.
Mileage: 1739.2-1792 = 52.8

Merrell Chameleon Stretch 3 - vibram sole, fantastic tread. never had any issues slipping or gaining traction. fit was alright though I did have some blisters form on the heel though that may have been due to getting the shoe tight enough so that it did not slide around. with the cinch lacing system it was a little more difficult to get a snug fit.
Mileage: 1792-1883.1 = 91.1

Pearl Izumi Peak XC - definitely a trail runner, not a trail hiking shoe. The mesh was torn apart very quickly and large holes started appearing. comfortable though!
Mileage: 1883.1-2181 = 297.9

Best day: Hitch with Dr. John or our lakeside cabin stay in Rangeley
Worst Day: Day 71 or Day 117
Best Scene: Grayson Highlands or Height Mountain
Most difficult section: Pennsylvania

Because I have an ultralight pack I can justify carrying the following:

• 750ml bottle of Lovingston Wine (30 miles, just under 2 lbs)
• 2 pounds of Old WI Summer Sausage
• 1 pound can of Boiled Green Peanuts
• Inflated Beach Ball
• Biscuits 'n gravy in a ziplock bag
• 1 pound of bell peppers

Day 121 - KATAHDIN!!!

September 13 - Katahdin Stream Campground to Katahdin - 5.2 miles

Woke up at 4:30am to break camp. Only slept about three hours last night. Probably due to the anticipation of summiting this magnificent mountain.

There are many trails that lead up to the summit but the AT uses the Hunt Trail, which is a very difficult, strenuous and challenging trail. We began at 5:17am.

After hiking in the dark for about 45 minutes, the sun finally broke over the mountains, providing rays of light glistening through the trees.

The climb was pretty steep, rocky and full of surprises.

Of course, we had to take a quick pee break on our way up.

At about 7:45am we reached the sign.

Summiting Katahdin was, as every has always said, outstanding, phenomenal, breath-taking, awe-inspiring and the like. Honestly though, it was a little sign, on the top of a barren, quiet mountain, in a misty grey cloud. With that being said, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Since we got up as early as we did, we took some time to enjoy ourselves, soak it all in, and drink a beer.

The temperature at 5,270 ft was not ideal for shorts and a t-shirt so we bundled up in our warm bags.

To all of my LOTR followers: yes I did attempt to melt the One Ring. Unfortunately, my alcohol stove was not able to reach a high enough temperature to incinerate metal, but it did turn green/blue when it was burning.

Left to right: Frodo, Sweet Tea, Happy Feet, Samwise, Stretch

Day 120 - Katahdin Stream Campground

September 12 - Rainbow Stream Lean-To to Katahdin Stream Campground - 25.1 miles

Going to reach the base of Katahdin today... that's an incomprehensible thought.

Loaded up on calories this morning with a Bacon Peanut Butter bagel. It may have contained a few too many fat calories. Oh well.

Katrieva (Happy Feet's girl) brought us a great ensemble for dinner. From fresh ham and turkey deli sandwiches (with tomatoes and spinach) to chips and salsa, to indulgent cookie bars, we were very thankful for everything she did. Thank you Katrieva!

Day 119 - Views of Katahdin

September 11 - Cooper Brook Falls Lean-To to Rainbow Stream Lean-To - 29.6 miles

Extremely cold morning, really felt like fall, almost winter. Elevation has been ideal for big miles - super flat.

Gorgeous views of Katahdin.

Found a ziploc bag of large blueberry muffins sitting on a bridge. We devoured them.

Annie's Mac n Cheese w/ Taco Tortillini for dinner.

Day 118 - Thanksgiving Dinner!

September 10 - Chairback Mtn Lean-To to Cooper Brook Falls Lean-To - 28.8 miles

31 degrees during the night - thank you Marmot Arroyo 30 degree down for keeping me alive.

Last set of climbing toady, no more "mountains," just a few small hills.

Received some awesome trail magic from a couple we met out doing a day hike. They provided us with cherry tomatoes, wheat thins, sweet tea, toilet paper and even took our trash!

Samwise and I were spoiled for dinner. Our hiking buddy Kevin from PA sent us a gourmet Thanksgiving trail dinner to Monson. He had it himself and thought we would enjoy it too. He was right. This meal goes down in the top five favorite trail meals.

Thanksgiving Trail Dinner (x2):

• Dehydrated turkey
• Dehydrated vegetable medley
• Stuffing mix
• 6oz of cranberries
• Kevin's special mix of seasonings

Day 117 - Silhouettes with Stretch

September 9 - Monson, ME to Chairback Mtn Lean-To - 26.0 miles

Entered the "100 Mile Wilderness" today. It is known for it's desolation, remoteness and big game. They recommend taking 10 days worth of food with you to traverse this section. We only packed three days worth.

Started hiking with Stretch today. He started his journey March 1 - 2.5 months before us. Even though he started as early as he did, he still hikes just as fast, if not faster.

Left to right: Stretch, Frodo, Samwise, Sweet Tea and Happy Feet

Pretty shitty day today:

• Camera got wet in a ford crossing. It doesn't work anymore
• Discovered trench foot from 5 days of walking in wet shoes
• The new liner socks have rubbed my heels raw
• Lost a sock in the ford, only 1 pair left
• Miscalculated our mileage and walked for hours in the dark
• Ran into a bee hive on the ground, almost everyone got stung

Even though today seemed miserable, we had another phenomenal sunset.

Day 116 - Improvised Apple Picking

September 8 - Bald Mtn Lean-To to Monson, ME - 22.0 miles

Picked wild apples on our way to Monson. Without the proper tools to pick the apples, we had to improvise:

We were re-routed to Blanchard, ME due to the Piscataquis River being treacherous to cross, according to some locals. It was a 6-mile road walk, which was tough on our knees. We did average 4 mph on the road though!

Had the most amazing BBQ pulled pork sandwich from Spring Creek Bar-B-Q.

I would have taken a picture of my sandwich but I was so hungry it was gone in seconds. Sorry folks!

Day 115 - Kennebec River Ferry Crossing

September 7 - West Carry Pond Lean-To to Bald Mtn Lean-To - 28.7 miles

Headlamp batteries finally died after 1,700 miles. Those lithium ion ones really do last 10x longer!

Hauled ass for the first 13.7 miles to catch the morning Kennebec Ferry, which runs from 9-11am and 1-3pm. We arrived at 10:35am to find out that we were his last ferry across for two days. With the recent hurricane and all of the rain, the river has become too dangerous to cross, even in a canoe.

From the MATC:

The Kennebec River is the most formidable un-bridged crossing along the entire 2,174-mile Appalachian Trail.
The Kennebec is approximately 70 yards wide with a swift, powerful current under the best of circumstances. However, as a result of releases of water from hydro facilities upstream, the depth and current of the river surge quickly and unpredictably. You cannot cross faster than the water level rises.

Day 114 - Log Bogs in Maine

September 6 - Horns Pond Lean-To to West Carry Pond Lean-To - 17.5 miles

Rained all night and in to the morning. Today was the most difficult to leave my super warm down sleeping bag and put on my wet stinky clothes. So, instead of packing up I crawled out, grabbed my food bag and got back in my sleeping bag. Breakfast in bed anyone?

Today we had to cross some "Log Bogs" on the trail. Log Bogs are make-shift bridges, usually long planks of wood or a tree cut in half. They are primarily found over wet marshes or well trodden muddy areas. This particular section did not function quite as it was supposed to...