Last week, after a month off due to sickness, I started hiking again. I did a 7.1 mile loop with 3000 ft of elevation gain, summiting three mountains. Took me 4.5 hours.
Today I did a 9 mile loop with 3500 feet of elevation gain, summiting another three mountains. Took me 5 hours.
o_O
I think I'm hiking too fast. No one passes me, I pass other people. When I'm descending, I fly down the trail. When it's rock and other people are picking out exactly where to put their foot before stepping, I'm still flying down, using my whole body, hands and arms grabbing onto tree trunks to swing down, sliding down on my bum, or just fast stepping from rock to rock, using momentum. One hiker told me I was "zooming down that rock."
When I'm ascending, the higher I get, the faster I go. I really get going when I hit the alpine zone. I've gotten yelled at more than once to "stop running up the mountain."
Am I hiking too fast? Or do other hikers log these kinds of speeds?
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Mack,
You Rock!!!!!!!!!!!
Keep going, as long as you feel good and don't get hurt all the time.
It sounds to me like Tree-bo!
Liz
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
I'm not sure about mountain hikes, but 2-3 miles per hour is a pretty reasonable pace. As long as you're not about to go headlong down the mountain, it probably just means that you feel more comfortable with the terrain and are not afraid to stumble or twist an ankle.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
I hesitate to say that you're "hiking too fast," since it seems like you enjoy it and are probably smart enough to sit down and rest if you get light-headed or weary. As long as you're not pushing yourself unreasonably, and aren't climbing in climates and at altitudes with which you're unfamiliar -- which can upset your assessment of your abilities -- I don't see why you have to march to everyone else's drummer.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Tom makes me think of the fact that you shuold always carry a cell phone, or hike with someone.
I wish I could get into shape like that. That was me, pre-kids. I can feel your exhilaration.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I do always carry a cell phone. Shut off, but it works for emergencies, like when idiot Jordan fell down the waterfall.
Oddly, I descended on the trail that he fell on. I passed rescuers in the last two-tenths of a mile. They were going up to get someone who'd gotten badly hurt. I wonder who it was and which person it was that I passed. I couldn't be of any help because I just finised the hike and they knew I'd be exhausted.
It makes me wish I lived closer so I could join the mountain rescue volunteer folks.
Yes, Tom, I do stop to rest sometimes. Mostly to take pictures But it works. Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
I say not to worry about it. At Bay of Fundy National Park (Canada), three of us went backwoods hiking. As in, carry your food and shelter, 25+ lb sacks.
And we were blowing by the occassional day hikers we came across.
Even somewhat injured (as two of us were), we still easily beat or hit the low-end of trail time estimates.
I think if you are having fun, it's not a problem. I mean, the same 3 people on the Fundy trip once left Boston at 8am, and climbed the Spellman/descended the White Dot and got back to Boston by 2pm for a lunch at Red Bones in Davis Square. I had a blast.
BTW, we should hike sometime, mack. Any decent climbs besides Monadnock out in your direction?
-Bok
[ August 24, 2003, 08:13 PM: Message edited by: Bokonon ]
Posted by Ryan Hart (Member # 5513) on :
I was hiking the AT with Camp Ridgecrest a few weeks ago. It was great. You make better time than we did.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
The good climbs are 90 minutes north of me. Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
Heh... The last time I hiked a part of the AT, the map-getter had ended up buying a 4-year-old topo; in the interim, the descent trail we wanted had been rerouted.
We ended up walking down some logging trails, and by some signs with a few shotgun blast holes in them, for good measure. We ended up in a small neighborhood, and a lady was kind enough to carry 4 strangers to their car.
-Bok
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
A new olympic sport:
Speed hiking.
Posted by Ralphie (Member # 1565) on :
You people should be sitting on your buttocks eating cheetos like civilized people, not setting record speeds for hikes.
Heathens.
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
Teshi... When I was at Acadia, there were folks actually doing runs on the mountain trails. Weird to be dressed up a bit with a small backpack, and then see someone in regular running gear blow by you!
-Bok
Posted by Richard Berg (Member # 133) on :
My general rule of thumb (granted, not tested in a few years) is 15 miles a day over moderate terrain, 10 over steep stuff. So no, I wouldn't worry.
[ August 25, 2003, 02:21 AM: Message edited by: Richard Berg ]
Posted by larisse (Member # 2221) on :
Part of me agrees with Ralphie. The other part of me (which should be beatin' down for even piping up) wants to join Mack. Well not join her. But try hiking. It sounds exhilarating. And fun. And... dear sweet something or another... what am I saying! Running up a mountain, flying down a mountain. Potential bodily harm . Maybe I should just get some sleep 'cause serious lack of it is affecting my judgement.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I never saw him. o_O
Posted by Chaeron (Member # 744) on :
Mack, if you need a challenge, head west. Here in Vancouver, the trails in terms of grade and elevation gain are enough to challenge anyone.
Saturday before last, I climbed the West Lion. The trail to it is 4mi and begins at around 500', and climbs steadily along a logging road for a few kilometers, then the trail crosses a creek, and is in old growth forest and scree until a final climb up solid granite to a ridge at about 5000'. This takes at least two hours, even at a rather fast pace.
At the ridge, the trail splits, there is one route that takes you to a downhill ski area about 7mi S. That is one end of the Howe Sound Crest trail. The other end is a good 12mi NNE. Finally, directly N is the peak of the West Lion (img), towering 250' above the ridge.
I decided I wanted to get to the top. To get to it, I had to first decend 50' or so from the ridge, with the final decent aided by a fixed rope. Once down, I was in a notch between the ridge and the West Lion. The initial climb up runs across the face and up a slight bit. There is a rope fixed for security, but it is not much comfort as this section is completely exposed, and a fall from the ledge would mean certain death. Fortunately, it is relatively easy, so once you have conquored it in your mind, you can just slowly and confidently move your way up. I continued from there up a narrow ledge on the east face. Eventually, I wound up on a section on the south face that was very exposed and about 20 degrees off vertical, but as little as 10 in many places. Luckly, when ready to head back on account of my failure to find a way up that could safely be descended without ropes, I found a route back on the east side, which happened to lead back to the most common route. From there, it was a (comparatively) easy climb to the top, where I was greeted by intermittent cloud as it rolled over the peak and parted in waves to reveal views to the west and north. The way down, then knowing the way, was fairly easy.
Once back on the ridge, we departed S along the Howe Sound crest trail. It was a rolling adventure that loses 1000' then gains 500', then loses another 2000', then gains 1500', loses 1500' and gains a final 500'. From there, ski trails take you down to the parking lot.
I left at 10:45, finished at 5:30. I covered at least 10mi and 7500' of vertical, according to my GPS.
[ August 25, 2003, 03:47 PM: Message edited by: Chaeron ]
Posted by sarahdipity (Member # 3254) on :
*Makes a note of never going hiking with Mac*.
I'd just slow you down.
Posted by Chaeron (Member # 744) on :
Out of curiosity, are there any experienced hikers here in the Vancouver/Seattle area? People willing to go on long trips to the backcountry? I'm always looking for people do multi-day trips with.
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
Mack is it possible you didn't see him because you were moving too fast? AJ
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
AJ: *THAWP*
And, I wanna go hiking with Chaeron. Posted by eslaine (Member # 5433) on :
I don't think that cell phone would make any difference on men's opinions of your legs! Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
Oh sure, ignore ME mack!
All I hear, day in and day out, from all the hiker babes is "I wanna hike with Chaeron," "No, _I_ want to hike with Chaeron," "Oh yeah, well, I'd carry his bedroll, gorp, and water!"
Sheesh. Chaeron Chaeron Chaeron!
-Bok
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Lemme see a photo, Bok. Posted by Chaeron (Member # 744) on :
Mack: Bok as a child.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
*snort*
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
You can see me, in mid-hike, at foobonic, you goof!
-Bok
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
*goes*
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Yup, let's go hiking. Posted by Chaeron (Member # 744) on :
Hiking on the East Coast? Bah, child's play! *derisive snort*
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
hush you. It's ninety minutes north of me and it's dangerous enough. Don't you look at my pictures? Or are they not good enough 'cause I don't use a D10? Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
Yeah, but we've got the scenery... I mean mack!
-Bok
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
*blush*
Did you NOT see my spiky hair pic ?!
Posted by Chaeron (Member # 744) on :
I haven't seen that before. Nice pic, when are you going to show us more of you?
I've already bared more of myself than anyone besides that madman Frisco. Surely someone else is as shameless as I?
Oh, and while on the topic of scenery, Spruce Lake is in my estimation, the most beautiful place on earth.
Clever to disguise a post bragging about your hiking speed by making it look like you're asking for advice. ;-)
Like everyone else said, if you're hiking alone, go at whatever speed you are comfortable with.
I hiked from 9,200 ft. to 13,796 ft. at Mauna Kea on the Big Island, 4596 ft. elevation, six miles long, in five hours. Going down took 2.5 hours, so 12 miles, 4596 feet up and down, 7.5 hours.
That doesn't seem *that* much less than yours. Let's see... you did 7.1 miles in 4.5 hours... in 7.5 hours you'd have done 11.8 miles. And 1500 ft. elevation difference, so I pass you there.
But 9 miles in 5 hours, you'd do 13.5 miles in 7.5 hours, and I only did 12. Now, does the extra 1000 vertical feet make up for an extra mile and a half? I have no idea, but my gut says no it doesn't, and you're faster than me, but perhaps not *outrageously* so. (On the other hand, I live at sea level, and am not at all used to hiking above 10,000 feet. There's no air up there, you know.)
I say you're doing fine and other people are just slow pokes. :-)
Túrin
Posted by Chaeron (Member # 744) on :
Terrain is also a factor. A solid surfaced, smooth trail with an even grade will allow you to go faster than a scramble over uneven or loose surface.
BTW, Túrin: if I haven't said it before, kudos on the obscure Tolkien reference. The story of Túrin Turambar was my favorite part of the Silmarillion.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
*happy sigh* As always, your photos are simply lovely. Literally stunning! My favorite from this batch.
Posted by Ela (Member # 1365) on :
mack, where'd you dig up that picture of us?
What a motley crew!!
Mack, about hiking speed: My main concern is that you will not hike so fast that you are unsafe.
Be safe! We want you to come back in one piece to show us more of your beautiful photos...and because we like you. (Not necessarily in that order. )
**Ela**
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
This weekend I'm attempting my most dangerous and technically hard climb yet. Most of it is climbing. It's also the longest route yet. Posted by Ela (Member # 1365) on :
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
I couldn't be of any help because I just finised the hike and they knew I'd be exhausted.![[Wink]](wink.gif)
But it works. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Dont Know]](graemlins/dontknow.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
. Maybe I should just get some sleep 'cause serious lack of it is affecting my judgement.
![[Evil]](graemlins/evil.gif)
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