My Appalachian Trail journey was so much more than the numbers, but as an analytical person, I like the numbers too. They are another lens I can use to process the experience. My wife, who is currently taking doctorate-level statistics classes, thinks I’m totally crazy for making graphs and charts just for fun. That may be true, but I like the clear snapshot they provide. A graph provides a succinct visualization of the complex 2,200 mile journey. It certainly doesn’t capture everything, but it gives my brain visual representation, knowing that all the complexities, personal narratives, and memories lie within.
Mileage
Miles hiked
2150.6
Miles canoed
47.8
Total miles
2198.4
Daily average – including zeros
13.4
Daily average – not including zeros
14.7
Longest day
25.9
Shortest day
3.0
Days and Dates
Start date
March 16
End date
September 28
Hiatus (family emergency)
July 15 – August 16
Total # days (not including hiatus)
164
Hiking days
150
Zeros
14
Nights in a tent
81
Nights in a bed (hostel, hotel, or house)
35
Nights in a shelter (lean to)
49
Despite gaining strength and endurance, my daily mileage did not increase over time. The terrain became more challenging, and the wear and tear on my body increased. I also learned to relax and to not push too hard.
I found that my sweet spot for mileage was in the high teens. The short days under 10 miles are usually “Nearos,” which are days that I resupplied in town.
When hiking solo, I generally preferred sleeping in my tent over sleeping in a shelter. If it was raining, or if I was hiking with friends, I gravitated toward shelters. Sleeping in a bed, usually at a hiker hostel, was a special treat on resupply days.
Miscellaneous
Total elevation gain/loss
515,000 ft
Number of states hiked
14
Weight lost
26 lbs
Number of bear sightings
4
4 thoughts on “Final AT Stats”
Meriel
Very interesting! What a great way to lose weight! How close were the bears? Scary!
All of the bears were pretty close, however, 3 of the 4 ran off as soon as they saw me. The 4th was a problematic bear who had learned about human food at a particular campsite. He wasn’t aggressive at all, but definitely wasn’t afraid of humans either and kept trying to get into people’s food.
Good question. The 26 lost is the net loss from March to September. I definitely gained some weight during the hiatus, but I didn’t weigh myself during that time so I don’t know exactly how much.
Very interesting! What a great way to lose weight! How close were the bears? Scary!
All of the bears were pretty close, however, 3 of the 4 ran off as soon as they saw me. The 4th was a problematic bear who had learned about human food at a particular campsite. He wasn’t aggressive at all, but definitely wasn’t afraid of humans either and kept trying to get into people’s food.
I’m curious if you gained/relost weight during your hiatus, and if that’s counted in the total weight loss or not?
Good question. The 26 lost is the net loss from March to September. I definitely gained some weight during the hiatus, but I didn’t weigh myself during that time so I don’t know exactly how much.