The 2023?!?! Cyclical totals discussion thread.

[Jim]

How are things progressing this year? In keeping with the idea that you are only as good as the numbers you post, I'm up to 61,436' of elevation for the year and a modest 132 miles.

Added August 2019: Looking back 10 years later, I honestly can't think of anything more offensive or unhealthy to say about one's hiking, than the above statement. Thats was my OP in 2009. Hiking should never just be about the stats recorded.

January 31, 2023: Have at it.

[Jim]

There is a difference between a few weeks or several months of something and an entire year. I've been lied to on this subject before, so I tend to doubt evidence free claims. Maybe there are people doing the Incline day after day, but it is only 2,000' of elevation according to our site, so still not 1,000,000'. Multiples per day 135 times more than than there are day is needed, and maybe there are people doing that, such as the man I referenced. I understand those people tend to be pretty wimpy when it comes to heat, though.


I challenge Joe, or someone else on the site to do the million in a year. I would like to be able to track their health, as Mark indicated he has had negative affects from this year's hikes.

[rcorfman]

There are people on listofjohn (pay $ite) that are over a million feet every year. Of course they live in Colorado, etc.

Impressive, as that's over 2739' daily.

[rcorfman]

I challenge Joe, or someone else on the site to do the million in a year.

Remember, 2016 is a leap year so there's an extra day to reach that million.

[JasonCleghorn]

If I were retired, at my current health and age, I could do 2739 per day, probably. But probably close to it.

[Jim]

Well, I know for myself, I couldn't. If nothing else, I would get tired of hiking, and if I know anything about myself to be true, especially when other have told me so, it is that I would not be able to stick with and enjoy a goal of that type. I can barely tolerate living in one location for very long. When I did 342,000' a couple of years ago, it was becoming a chore and it started to ruin hiking for me. Looking back, I wish I had taken a few less hikes that October, to have done other things. I also wish I had bought a charcoal grill or a smoker, and made some brisket, rather a lot of brisket. That has nothing to do with here, however, I just like brisket.

[joebartels]

The opportunity to work hard, hang with cheaters and be disliked by masses... where do I sign up

I'm sure there are a few legitimate conditioned hikers that knock out a million honestly. Of those I'd imagine some never tell anyone and some don't even know it themselves. The older you get, the harder it gets. Jack Lalanne isn't eating veggies anymore, we're all human.

Long out of town day hikes with company are more my preference. If bean dip would tell his family to take a hike so we can get back at it... I have a new high power flashlight that is collecting dust and needs to be used!

[The_Eagle]

If bean dip would tell his family to take a hike

Anybody I know?

[chumley]

Long out of town day hikes with company are more my preference.

Really?
:roll:

[big_load]

I guess I have one more day to enter my remaining trips.

[joebartels]

Just don't pretend to proclaim.

[BobP]

I read about 1 guy doing over 1 million aeg in CO. He did the incline every day sometimes multiple times for like 1.2mil. Def the exception,there probably are others but I'm sure there aren't hoards. Someone told me last year he would never do 700k or more again. Liar Liar pants on fire guy.

[autumnstars]

A quick calculation tells me I would have to climb Mt Charleston (my closest hike with good aeg) 4X per week all year long to make 1 mil. Now that sounds less than fun.

[nikorock28]

That would be a Flatiron every day of the year. Even if no other commitments (work, etc.), that is a hefty goal. I personally get hiked out after two solid days of hiking and then I am looking to get back into the gym. I think for most "normal" people (world class athletes aside), doing that kind of AEG would breakdown the body and you would end up weaker and less conditioned than when you started.

[chumley]

I think for most "normal" people

Don't forget: Nobody on HAZ (and definitely nobody who posts in this thread) is normal. Using any definition of the term. Nobody.

[Jim]

I'm still within one standard deviation of normal ;) . We are all, actually. After some of the weird things I have seen at work, I can definitely say that we, even the most extreme of us, are normal!

[johnlp]

Many people are capable of 1 million ft of AEG, and I'm sure a few have done it. As much a mental challenge as physical. On a different note, Kurt Searvogel will break the record for most miles cycled in a year in ten more days. He is averaging riding 209 miles a day. Far more difficult than 1 mil AEG IMO.

[nikorock28]

Which is more difficult... a 30,000' week or 100,000' month? Nobody on this site has accomplished 1,000,000 for the year, but how often has the aforementioned been completed?

[BobP]

I've done a few 35k weeks and a few 100k months. I def think a 100k month is harder.

[azbackpackr]

Jan. 1, 2016--Well, I can savor being in the top ten for AEG for one day, at least! I know it won't last!

[Jim]

Whether or not anyone is or has done it is one thing. An entirely different aspect is why would you want to? We aren't super men, and with people like Lance Armstrong being stripped of titles for steroid use, at what point does the obsessive attainment of something like miles, AEG, or times for a hike, or whatever, go from fun to something that is not only a chore, but to harmful, or actually dangerous and not even natural?

I didn't want to go over 300,000' last year becuase I didn't want to have a monkey on my back where I felt I had to go out to get AEG to be over 300,000', and then try to get well over just to be sure. I did 99.04% of the previous year's AEG, and more miles. I suppose I could have done another couple of hikes and easily been over 300,000', but I really didn't want to because I didn't want hiking to be a chore. It was feeling like a chore for a time in late 2013 when I did that, and I didn't want to repeat it. Instead, I enjoyed my hikes, for the most part. The weather wasn't always the nicest. Actually, at times I ended up not doing certain hikes because I didn't want to go over 3000,000', so one could sort of say it had the opposite affect of not doing something potentially fun, just to keep totals down. However, I really just canceled a few flat iron hikes for weather reasons, so it wasn't much. I can't imagine having to hike everyday for 1 million.

I still think the claim is one thing, doing it with proof is a different matter. Just as a very impressive week, month or season is one thing, but the entire year a different matter. There may not only be 1 guy in CO Spring doing it on 1 hike, beaten to death, there could be a dozen people, but I still call BS on claims by numerous peak baggers on the List of J, or someone on 14ers, saying they not only did it once, but routinely exceed that figure.

Now, If I can figure out how to work a blurry photo into this thread, my 2016 hazosolution will be well underway.