What's your Portage Pace?

[Black_Fly]

Competition for campsites often makes mee we hurry more than I prefer. Every group passing me makes finding a campsite less likely. My last solo trip entry required 4 portages I didn’t plan for day 1, and I still got the last site on that lake. Day 2 can even be tough.

 

[Bob B.]

Good point Black_Fly.

 

[Odyssey]

Competition for campsites often makes mee we hurry more than I prefer. Every group passing me makes finding a campsite less likely. My last solo trip entry required 4 portages I didn’t plan for day 1, and I still got the last site on that lake. Day 2 can even be tough.

We used to find ourselves on that treadmill in Algonquin. At times it was discouraging. It's funny how smug you feel when you're sitting at your perfect site at 3 stupidearlyo'clock in the afternoon watching flotillas of canoes stream by searching for campsites.

 

[lowangle al]

I watched a YouTube video last night where the kid (yep, I'm again considering taking advice from someone 1/2 my age... slow learner) ...anyway... this kid said that he's found longer portages to be easier if he walks rapidly / jogs them and felt that, in the long run (pun intended), it was less tiring than walking / plodding.

When I was in my 30's and in good shape from doing a lot of trips my motto was, "The heavier the load, the faster the pace"

I didn't have a gps back then, but I estimate a 3 mph pace. The total distance to my destination on one trip is about 11 miles or more, including the double ports. and it took 4 hours when I was at my best. Total time averaged almost three mph.

When I wasn't in great shape the trip took 4.5 hours. In the later years when I stopped to "smell the flowers" it took 5 hours.

 

[Paddlinhal]

I recall reading a scientific study about physiology and human pace. There is an efficient walking pace and an efficient running pace. We all have different ones, similar to hull-speed. But they also found another efficient pace, between the two, sort of a rolling semi-jog, and couldn't explain it. I always pictured that as the portage pace of the voyageurs when they carried big loads. I'm probably full of it. That being said, I'm a trudger.

 

[MrPoling]

You're never too young to hurt yourself. I'm a half inch shorter now, mostly because of canoes.
When you're far from help it's a good idea to take it easy.

I think I see more big wildlife when I trail run. In the last two years I've seen bear and coyote while running here in North Carolina. But in some places surprising big wildlife might not be as much fun.