Pro tip: A ranger in the White Mountains told me my planned 18-mile day was 'asking for a rescue' and now I never plan a route over 12 miles.

He said most people forget to factor in the 3,000 feet of elevation gain and that turned my 'ambitious' loop into a dangerous slog, so what's the biggest mileage mistake you've made on a route?

3 comments

3 Comments

finleyw581mo ago

Honestly that line about "asking for a rescue" hits home. Tbh I see this everywhere now, not just hiking. People just look at the raw number, like the 18 miles, and totally miss the real effort, like that 3000 foot climb. Ngl I did it myself planning a bike route once, just looked at the flat map distance and ignored the hills. Ended up walking my bike for like an hour. It's like we're all trained to just see the simple metric and forget what it actually costs.

kim8191mo ago

Oh come on, that's just fear mongering. People have been doing big miles forever. My uncle used to crush 20 mile days in the Rockies with a canvas pack and boots from the 70s. That ranger is just covering his own backside. If you're in decent shape and start early, an 18 mile day with some climb is totally fine. It's called training. Maybe some folks should spend less time worrying about the numbers and more time getting off the couch.

miam7523d ago

That "decent shape" line is the whole problem. Decent shape for what? A 5k road race? Your uncle's 20 mile day in the 70s is a cool story, but it's just a story. The ranger sees the people who think they're in decent shape limping back with busted knees at mile 12. It's not about fear, it's about knowing that 18 mountain miles with a pack is a totally different beast than 18 flat road miles. Most people have no clue how to train for that specific pain.