Can the entire Knobstone
trail be hiked in one day?
That is the question IWU
students have been asking for several years.
IWU 2004 grads
Six IWU students set out
October 8., 2004 to see if it was possible. They recruited
You bet they made it! 100% of the
team completed the entire 45.5 miles of the Knobstone
Trail in less than 24 hours. Walking as
a full team through the night they covered more than 30 miles by
OK, the challenge has been
issued: want to join the club-- the Knobstone 45:24? OK cover the Knobstone’s
45 miles in 24 hours and you’re in!
For more info on the Knobstone
trail see the backpacking class pages at:
http://courses.indwes.edu/KD-PHE120/
10 tips for hiking
the Knobstone 45:24 by Kevin Wright
1. Hike the trail before you begin- Before you even set foot on the trail, decide in your mind that you will finish. If failure is not an option then it is never a possibility. Agree with those hiking with you that everyone will walk 24 hours barring any serious injury and then hold each other to that promise. Accountability in turn will breed encouragement from others and this is crucial for hiking such a tough trail in so short a span of time.
2. Recruit a supply person- It is probably feasible to hike the Knobstone in 24 hours with a full pack on your back but I wouldn’t want to try it. The most I carried with me on any part of the trail was two liters of water in a Camelback-like pack that itself weighed less than a pound. Every creek bed we crossed was dry as a bone, so getting water from the trail was almost impossible. Because of this, finding a person to meet you at trailheads with supplies is almost crucial. Every member of our group had a box containing food, water and other supplies in the supply person’s vehicle. At every trailhead we got our boxes out of the car, used what supplies we needed and saved our backs from carrying countless pounds.
3. Choose wisely the time you start the trail-
Our group began hiking at
4. Use Coach D’s Knobstone “data book”- Found at http://courses.indwes.edu/KD-PHE120/knobstone.data.htm, Coach D’s data book offers an outline of terrain and points out some of the trickier turns and nuances of the Knobstone. Since no one in our group had hiked the complete trail before, this sheet was invaluable to us. You can print the pages from the data book off and carry them with you on the trail (at most its 2 pages and even less if you shrink the font). Some parts of the trail contain ambiguous signage which is even harder to see at nighttime so this guide can be invaluable to your group as try to ascertain which way to go during your hike.
5.
Hike with at
least one person after 30 miles- Backpacking is wonderful because it allows
you to spend time alone in nature, however after thirty miles of non-stop
backpacking your mind begins to start playing tricks on you. One of our groups
members spoke to a professor of biology at IWU and found out that your brain
begins to loose logic and reasoning skills after exerting that much effort and
having no sleep. As a result, your mind starts playing tricks on you. I found
that after 30 miles I began to hallucinate and see houses or signs in the
middle of the forest that weren’t really there. Other members of our group saw
similar hallucinations and one member even thought he saw a person! You can
imagine what a problem this might present if you were hiking alone. Stay
together after 30 miles for the sake of safety so you don’t do something stupid
as your body suffers the consequence of the hike.
6.
Bring along
people who will make you succeed- Our group contained wonderful people
including two who carried me along with their encouraging words. Hike with
people who bring out the best in you. Positive and uplifting companions not only
provide wonderful conversation but also can carry you through a rough part of
the trail with their kind words.
7.
Your feet
are your most valuable possession, treat them as such- Your feet will have
to endure grueling punishment if you try to do a Knobstone
45:24. As a result, learn to take care of your feet. From the moment you take
your first step on the trail, imagine that you are walking barefoot. This
concept will help you to walk more carefully and in the end save your feet from
being mangled. While this principle is common sense for backpackers in general,
it is absolutely crucial when doing a Knobstone
45:24. Change socks at every trailhead you come to. Having a support person
makes this easy because you can have multiple pairs waiting for you in your
supply box (I went through 8 pairs of socks and had no blisters by the end!).
8.
Hike South
to North- If you hike from the south end to the north trail head, you will
finish the trail with three miles of absolutely flat terrain. Your body will
thank you for this. Also, the southern end of the trail contains in my opinion
some of the hardest terrain so hitting it while you are fresh improves your
chances of being able to accomplish the whole trail in less than 24 hours.
9.
30 minute
breaks- If you are trying to set a record for hiking the trail in the
fastest time, forget this one. However, if you simply
want to join the Knobstone 45:24 club, this tip is
for you. Our group found that thirty minute breaks were perfect. In fact, they
were almost inevitable. By the time we stopped, refilled our water containers,
grabbed some food, and took care of our feet, thirty minutes had passed. Thirty
minutes for one stop may seem too long for trying to hike the Knobstone in twenty four hours but in all realty it is
seemingly the perfect amount of time. Spend any longer than thirty minutes at
one stop and your joints will lock up. Spend any less and your body might not
endure the punishment of the trail.
10. Use Body Glide- This product saved my life! Body Glide is a
product that looks like a deodorant stick. A member of our group introduced
this to me and I’m forever in his debt. You apply the Body Glide by rubbing it
on parts of your body that are most likely to develop a rash or blister. It is
completely non-greasy, non-oily and works better than Vaseline. After 45 miles
on the trail, I had no blisters, irritation or chaffing on the parts of my body
that I applied it to. Body Glide literally eliminates friction when applied to
your skin. One of our group members even put it on his feet to reduce the
chances of blisters. The product can be purchased from http://www.sternoff.com. When hiking a 45
mile trail in less than 24 hours, any advantage helps and this product is a
huge one.