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Congrats to Andy Skurka!!
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IGO





Joined: 08 Feb 2005
Posts: 4144
Location: Las Vegas

PostPosted: 11/6/2007, 5:53 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

An awful lot of effort to spend the day looking at ones feet. Certainly not communing with nature when one is trying to break a track record. Can't walk on a trail at Red Rock for the numbers of people who are trying to do something better accomplished at the high school track. Just me I guess.
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MikeInFHAZ





Joined: 15 Feb 2004
Posts: 1401
Location: location location

PostPosted: 11/6/2007, 7:36 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

well Liz I certainly dont hike at breakneck speed or go long distances on purpose, but the main reason I carry a light pack is because its light. Ultralight backpacking is not an adventure race, and those ads from companys who tell you otherwise arent even making sense. You probably could go really far with a light pack, but you can also do some little 5 mile hikes with a daypack's weight. Now thats heavenly.
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Tommy





Joined: 21 Jul 2005
Posts: 192

PostPosted: 11/6/2007, 8:32 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Like FTapon says, Hike Your Own Hike. In my summer of backpacking, I ran into about every possible hiking style. For some people, hiking 3 and 4 miles an hour was a natural and easy pace - they took plenty of breaks, had great conversations, saw the sights, and still found themselves walking 20-25 miles a day. For others, hiking 1 mile per hour was an exhausting effort that left them "looking at their feet" the whole day. Next to communing with nature, the best part of backpacking is communing with fellow hikers, regardless of their packweight or hiking style.

Unfortunately, there are some super-ultralight athletes burning up the trail who tend to look down on the mortals. But also just as unfortunate, there are some traditionalist backpackers who look down on anyone going faster than 2 miles an hour, accusing them of not "truly getting it." They probably haven't met Skurka or Tapon, or others.

And I definitely agree with AI - a lighter pack has benefits regardless of how fast you are going. Some of the most knowledgeable and interesting thru-hikers I met are the ones who took the "light and easy" approach. Go as light as possible and as slow as possible.

Of course, I don't have a lightweight system yet. but working on it.

my 2cents. Smile
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Davis2001R6





Joined: 12 Dec 2003
Posts: 5591
Location: Italy

PostPosted: 11/6/2007, 8:44 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

IGO wrote:
Certainly not communing with nature when one is trying to break a track record.


I don't agree with that completely. I bet you he saw more things and more nature than any "slow" person would. Just because your hiking fast doesn't mean you don't get to take a look at things.

If person A hikes 7000 miles in a year and person B hikes 2000 miles, who do you think saw more stuff?
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threedogz





Joined: 06 May 2005
Posts: 668
Location: Chandler

PostPosted: 11/6/2007, 9:26 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

I find myself hiking quickly due to enthusiasm on what is around the bend, or what lies ahead.
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fairweather8588





Joined: 30 Dec 2003
Posts: 716

PostPosted: 11/6/2007, 9:36 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

IGO wrote:
An awful lot of effort to spend the day looking at ones feet. Certainly not communing with nature when one is trying to break a track record.


I disagree, I think if you spend a month or so along a trail, no matter how fast you're traveling, you will bond with the terrain you travel in
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IGO





Joined: 08 Feb 2005
Posts: 4144
Location: Las Vegas

PostPosted: 11/6/2007, 7:32 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Davis2001R6 wrote:
IGO wrote:
Certainly not communing with nature when one is trying to break a track record.


I don't agree with that completely. I bet you he saw more things and more nature than any "slow" person would. Just because your hiking fast doesn't mean you don't get to take a look at things.

If person A hikes 7000 miles in a year and person B hikes 2000 miles, who do you think saw more stuff?

Me at 500 or 600. Razz
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wanderingsoul





Joined: 19 Jul 2004
Posts: 2285
Location: Gilbert AZ

PostPosted: 11/7/2007, 1:53 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

That was really impressive and to have met him and then see him finish was a nice way to see an ending to such a fantastic feat. I can't imagine doing something like that, all the planning and effort that went into this. I am in AWE at someone who does. He must have felt on Top of the World !!!

As for him being humble, I wouldn't have expected anything different from the way you all described meeting up with him.

Congratulations ANDY!!!!
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ftapon





Joined: 02 Nov 2007
Posts: 4

PostPosted: 11/7/2007, 12:16 pm    Post subject: Trying to make the scenery blur Reply to topic Reply with quote

I agree with Tommy's post. Here's an excerpt from my book, Hike Your Own Hike:

Taking it all in at Three Miles per Hour

Some may wonder how anyone could possible enjoy a wilderness
when one is “zipping through it” at 25 miles a day. The reality is
that even at 25 miles a day, we’re rarely walking more than three
miles an hour.

Think about how much scenery you can take in when you’re in
a national park driving at 15 miles per hour in a traffic jam. Now
imagine going at one-fifth of that speed! Now that’s slow!
As I liked to joke, “No matter how fast we walk, we can’t make the
scenery blur.”

Other hikers would frequently pass us, so we clearly weren’t walking
fast. The main difference is that we would spend less time in
camp. We would keep hiking until we could no longer see the trail
without flashlights.

So while our fellow thru-hikers were hanging out at camp, we
would be seeing the scenery they would see the next day.
While they were sleeping in the early morning hours, we would
already be enjoying the terrain that they would encounter hours
later.

In short, we saw the same things as other hikers. We just slept
a bit less and spent less time at camp than other pilgrims. Some
may not appreciate our hiking style, but everyone’s gotta hike their
own hike.


During the CDT I hiked with Flat Feet, a 64-year-old man, who caught up to me while I was walking! He saw me half a mile a way and caught up to me. Flat Feet and I hiked together for the rest of day and we had a similar pace. The only difference: he camped at 6 p.m. and I went on until 10 pm; and he hit the trail around 7am and I hit it at 6am. Those extra hours allowed me to do 10-15 extra miles a day than Flat Feet. He also spent more time in towns.

In short, "fast" hikers are often not very fast. Wink

To stay on topic... Andy's feat is indeed amazing, although it's not clear how much he was enjoying himself. On minute 6:25 of this video he says about his hike:

"The low moments definitely exceed the number of high moments."

Yikes! Shocked If I felt that way, I doubt I would have made it out of New Mexico on the CDT! That's one of the differences between Andy and I. During my yo-yo of the CDT the high moments definitely exceeded the low moments! Smile

The other difference between Andy and I is that he is a whole lot faster than me! Wink
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rayhiker





Joined: 16 Dec 2005
Posts: 86

PostPosted: 11/7/2007, 12:53 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

I'm curious to hear what people think of Andy's skipping the Mazatzals. Listening to his recording from Pine on Oct. 25 (from here), he was obviously very unimpressed with the Arizona Trail in particular and with Arizona hiking in general. Pretty sobering commentary on our trail maintenance. Personally I think things aren't quite as bad as Andy experienced, but he has see a lot of trail in his life now.

Is the trail thru the Mazatzals really that bad post-fire that Andy would not have succeeded?

It's also interesting to hear Andy's opinion expressed (Oct. 31) that Mt. Humphrey will all burn soon.
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MikeInFHAZ





Joined: 15 Feb 2004
Posts: 1401
Location: location location

PostPosted: 11/7/2007, 1:09 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

I told him to skip the Mazzy's, but he had already leaned to that decision first a little. My last few trips through the Mazzy's havent been what I would call a walk in the park. Plus, the AZT is routed along the Maz Divide Trail, which has no access to water sources below.
Listen to his podcast from Pine.
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Hikngrl
Canyoneering is my 'Happy Place'




Joined: 27 May 2003
Posts: 5578
Location: Peoria, AZ

PostPosted: 11/7/2007, 4:51 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

I tend to hike a bit faster than some simply because I let go of life and just go. I zone. I watch what is around me and take it in. It is my surroundings that keeps me going. I have missed a snake or two on the trail only because they appeared after I had passed. I don't believe I miss anything out there because of my speed (not that I am really that fast 'cause I am not, it's just in all your imaginations!) I like the idea of hiking your own hike and enjoying your self. If I want to go slower I usually have to put some one else in front of me or I will again zone and be gone.....though I could never keep up with Andrew it appears!
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sbkelley





Joined: 20 Feb 2007
Posts: 284
Location: Tempe, AZ

PostPosted: 11/7/2007, 5:18 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

The Mazatzals trails are in pretty bad shape, and were in places, difficult to follow. Every trail I've been on in the Mazzys has been pretty rugged: not a big deal for a day hike, but a through hike...yeah, that would get irritating.

Interesting commentary on the Peaks, too. I'm sure that will ruffle some feathers, but his prediction may come true if it doesn't snow up there soon...
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IGO





Joined: 08 Feb 2005
Posts: 4144
Location: Las Vegas

PostPosted: 11/7/2007, 7:33 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

I bet everybody here does exactly what makes them happy. It has been said that humans ALWAYS do what they really want to do and if you think of about it, it certainly is true in almost every case, whether it makes them happy or not. My lack of comprehension as to why somebody would want to zip through a stunningly beautiful place does not mean that somehow I know that that person is enjoying themselves any less than I enjoy myself, it simply means I don't understand what their drive is. I hate leaving a beautiful place. Sometimes it takes me 7 hours to get to the rim from Horseshoe Mesa but I've gone to the rim and back to the mesa in 1.5 hours before.
One thing I do know about the difference in speeds that some may not actually be aware of about them selves is: I completely zone out when I hike and that's why I always go for a week or longer, hike solo and go to mostly remote places but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am 50% more aware of my natural surroundings at 1 mph than I am at 1.5 mph and at 3 mph I would spend a painful amount of time just checking my footing and guess what? I watch fast hikers and that is exactly what most do (all) while on the move....watch their footing. And they almost never take a look around them until they are at idle or stopped. If you think I'm talking about you, and I have no particular person in mind...don't matter, then check yourself out the next time you are out there. My eyes are to my surroundings 80% of the time. With every two foot plantings, what percent of the time are you looking for subtle differences in every corner? Check it out and see.
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Davis2001R6





Joined: 12 Dec 2003
Posts: 5591
Location: Italy

PostPosted: 3/25/2009, 7:36 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

To add to the list he did Rim-Rim-Rim in 8 hours and 2 minutes about a week ago. To think I used to be happy with 20 hours Smile Ah who am I kidding I still am.
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