Cumberland Valley (PA) portion of AT

[rpm]

I turn 60 years old on 1/14/16. I plan to run a kilometer for every year of my life on my birthday. 

I plan to run a double crossing of the Cumberland Valley portion of the Appalachian Trail. I will run the valley “rim” to “rim” to “rim”, which is a few kilometers shy of 60k. In order to reach the symbolic 60k distance, I plan on leaving the Boiling Springs forge parking lot at 8 am to run up to the first “rim”….Center Point Knob. I will then run across the valley to the next “rim”; the high point near the Darlington shelter. I will then turn around and run back across the valley to Center Point Knob. The final stretch will be back to my car at the Boiling Springs forge parking lot; hopefully by 4 pm. Link to the course…. footpathapp.com/routes/752bacb8534549719c07...

[rpm]

On 1/14/16 I completed the run exactly as described in my orginal post in 8:17:37 (total elapsed time).  I completed the run self supported.  No other runners were able to join me since I ran during normal working hours.

www.strava.com/activities/470543670

The distance turned out to be 39.1 miles; a bit more than I had estimated.  The weather was very nice for a mid-January day in PA.  Temps started out in the low 20's, but rose to the low 40's by afternoon.  A brief snow squall from the previous day put enough snow on the trail to turn it into mud after temps rose in the afternoon.  Regardless of the mud, I felt good all day long and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.   I'm looking forward to coming up with a new challenge for my 61st!

I'm not sure what "proof" I need to supply.  The Strava link includes pictures of my watch at the top of each "rim" and at the finish.   


Rick Martin
New Cumberland, PA

[Milt Spilk]

How do you feel about standardizing this to just the rim to rim to rim? I think it's about 34 miles instead of your 39. I'd like to do this section of the AT, but I'm a hiker, not a runner, and I'm sure I wouldn't be "fastest". I'll post again if I do the rim to rim to rim.