[pct-l] speed hiking, zero days and crawling along slowly

[Brick Robbins]

HYOH not withstanding I really don't get the conflict between the tortoise
and the hare: the high mileage and the low mileage hiker.

If you get reasonably light hiking gear, the stress on your body is greatly
reduced.

If you go out on a thru hike, eventually you get fit. If you combine that
with light gear, the walking really doesn't stress your body that much, and
you can comfortably hike all day.

In prime thru hiking months, there are 14-16 hours a day of daylight. Figure
2.5 miles per hour, that means 27-30 miles a day if you take an hour in the
morning to get started, an hour in the evening to wind down. Maybe 25-28
miles if you take an hour lunch.

Personally I don't like sitting around, and I walk a little faster, so by
the time I hit Oregon, I was hiking 30+ days without much effort, or even
thinking about it.

I only spent a couple of nights in town, mostly when the calendar wasn't
cooperating with my mail drops.

Most of the hikers I know spend their zero days in town (hey, food becomes
pretty important) so they aren't "enjoying the wilderness" {TIC} with their
zero days in town as much as I did with my 30+ days on the trail. Not many
that I know of do what the Spirit Eagles did and spend their extra time on
the trail.

Did I enjoy the trail any less time than someone who spent an extra 30+
"zero days" in town? Or someone with a 40+ pound (no food or water) pack who
spent their time looking at their feet while they climbed the hills?

I think not, but then again, I'm biased

HYOH

-- 
Brick Robbins
brick at fastpack.com
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