Java Joe Backpacks Finger Lakes Trail in 23 Days
Am I nuts for doing the FLT this fast (averaging 24.4 miles backpacking per day), and not stopping to sniff the flowers? Yes!
Will I ever do it again this fast? No way --- hiking up to 13 hours a day with a 28-pound backpack (average) is not fun late in the day. I hope to take at least 36 days next time.
Will anyone ever do the FLT faster? You bet, based on recent records on the Appalachian Trail and the Long Trail, someone (with a crew to help and no backpack) should be able to traverse the 562-mile long Finger Lakes Trail in 13 days.
Was there sex on the trail? Most definitely --- I heard the peepers going at it in early May.
This was my 4th end-to-end of the Finger Lakes Trail. Although this trip starting out intended as a through hike, sore bleeding feet (no sock liners the major problem) forced me to quit after 6 days. Thus it became a hike with 3 to 6 days of backpacking each stage.
I am in awe of Frank Bianco of Lisle NY, who at age 73 and legally blind (macular degeneration), hiked the trail last year in 24 days (in stages also, as I understand from Ed Sidote).
I wore running shoes for my entire trip --- hiking boots are too heavy and I tend to turn my weak right ankle when wearing them. Gore-Tex trail running shoes (I wore Nike DriGoat recently) work best for me as they keep my feet dry. I usually did not carry a tent, instead a lighter 12 oz. 8 ft x 10 ft tarp and no-see-um netting dome hood over the top of my body at night.
High points: Meeting Ed Sidote at Tucker Road lean-to and having him take me into town for pizza and beer; lots of porcupines in Allegany State Park and the Catskills; people who say "You're doing this alone?"; "Aren't you afraid of bears (or coyotes or porcupines or rabid raccoons)?" The only aggressive animals I saw were dogs while walking on roads --- I had to bop a couple on the head with my walking stick in order to keep them from biting me.
Low points: listening to the peepers have sex while I had none, lack of beer and pizza most nights, and gnats that like to fly into your ear.
I can hardly wait to start my 5th end-to-end!
-- Java Joe
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