How fast to you hike?

Paul: Good point on younger folks still having a life outside of hiking. (work, school, dating, concerts). Whereas the retirees and idle-rich can hit the trail for longer and more often. Also, older folks have learned to condition beforehand (if not, they've had to give up longer trips).

Boulder? Ever hang with Boulder CHAOS (Colorado Hiking And Outdoor Society)? The founders (Coy/Don Christensen/Chanders, Marty Isaacson, Thomas Doerr) were ex-Berkeley CHAOS people who were all on the gourmet backpacking trip that I met my wife on.

Still alive and kicking (if now in MEETUP form).

I know "Rev Tommy" pretty well and go backcountry skiing with him a fair amount every winter in addition to attending his house gatherings. Have also been on trips with Coy and Marty. Bill Krause was also part of that crew too I believe? Have not seem him in a while but know him from a few years back.

Small world. :)

Depending on the terrain, the average for me is 2.5-3.0 mph including breaks for water, lunch, rest, etc. We hiked 38 miles in the Smokies a couple weeks ago and it took us 13 hours which equates to 2.92 mph. We hiked with purpose though.

Ryan

Solo backpacking I average about 2mph. This includes time walking, short rests, and meals. For me this is a well established avearge and tells me that 25 miles (12-13 hours of walking) is about my daily limit on week long (or longer) backpacking trek.

Dayhiking, I can average about 2.5 mph.

In the summer I do a lot of hiking/climbing for summits (13ers/14ers here in Colorado). Those tend to involve grades of about 1/1 (1 mile+1000ft of elevation). I can average 2mph on a grade like that. Flat or downhill terrain, 3-4mph is normal. On peaks, speed is a safety buffer because thunderstorms are common after noon.