The Trek West - Trail Basics (2024)

FAQs

How long did the trek take to get out west? ›

Perhaps some 300,000 to 400,000 people used it during its heyday from the mid-1840s to the late 1860s, and possibly a half million traversed it overall, covering an average of 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 km) per day; most completed their journeys in four to five months.

Katahdin, the mountain you climb on your first day, is arguably the hardest climb on the A.T. It features more than 4,000 feet of elevation gain, the greatest sustained ascent on the entire Appalachian Trail.

TRAIL BASICS - THE TREK WEST

The trek was a difficult journey and took five months to travel the 2,000 miles by ox-drawn wagon. Today, you could make the same trip by car in four days or by jet in four hours.

1. Carrying too Much Weight. The most common mistake thru hikers make is to carry too much weight when they start the trail.

From Independence, Missouri, the trail folowed the Little Blue, Platte, Sweetwater, Snake, and Columbia Rivers through Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon. Emigrants typically traveled 12 to 15 miles per day and it took 4 to 6 months to travel the 2,000 miles.

It is estimated that 6-10% of all emigrants of the trails succumbed to some form of illness. Of the estimated 350,000 who started the journey, disease may have claimed as many as 30,000 victims. Since the trail was 2,000 miles long, this would indicate that there was an average of 10-15 deaths per mile.

The Mahoosuc Notch, widely considered the most difficult mile on the entire AT, is a gorge filled with massive boulders, some as big as houses.

In the end they're equally hard but in different ways. Mentally the PCT is tougher in my opinion. Longer days and more extreme weather can be tiresome. There is also less hikers and the thru-hiker community is smaller.

The majority of deaths occurred because of diseases caused by poor sanitation. Cholera and typhoid fever were the biggest killers on the trail. Another major cause of death was falling off of a wagon and getting run over.

Can you still see wagon ruts from the Oregon Trail? ›

The bluffs close proximity to the river forced the emigrant trails onto a narrow path that went up and over the bluffs. Over time, as thousands of wagons, emigrants, and livestock went up the rise, ruts were carved into the dry bluffs. These ruts are still visible today at Sutherland Rest Area.

Rough roads and wagons without springs made for a very bumpy ride, and wagons were filled with supplies which left little room for passengers. Generally, travelers only rode in wagons when too ill or tired to walk, and slept most nights in tents or bedrolls outside the wagon.

The best thing you can do when hiking is to remember the “golden rule”: treat others the way you would want to be treated. Here are some main points of hiking etiquette. Hikers coming uphill have the right of way. If you're descending the trail, step aside and give space to the people climbing up.

Blisters. Blisters are one of the most common hiking injuries and are caused by friction between your skin and ill-fitting socks and/or footwear. To prevent blisters from forming, ensure your sock doesn't slip up and down when you walk.

What Are The Demographics Of Who Goes Hiking? Hiking demographics show that 36 is the average age of a hiker and the median age is 30 years old. Hiking is popular amongst all ages and typically hikers range from 13-70 years old.

The covered wagon made 8 to 20 miles per day depending upon weather, roadway conditions and the health of the travelers. It could take up to six months or longer to reach their destination.

Expansion of the United States moved steadily westward from the late 18th to the mid 19th centuries. This territorial movement displaced most of the Native American peoples who lived in those lands for thousands of years before the arrival of European colonists.

There were many routes west but most people traveled on overland trails, including the California and Oregon Trails. Both trails were roughly 2000 miles, depending on the various routes and cutoffs chosen and would take a typical emigrant family 3-6 months to make this journey.

The journey across overland trails took settlers 2,000 miles and around seven months to complete. Most groups traveled at a pace of fifteen miles a day. Few traveled the overland trails alone; most settlers traveled with their families.