[brudgers]

One of the photos shows him holding paper in a plastic bag. The headline mentions the Pinhoti Trail. It seeks to link the Florida Trail to the AT. It is far enough along to be a working route though there is still a lot of walking on paved roads.

http://www.pinhotitrailalliance.org/

[almog]

Very interesting! The ECT (Eastern Continental Trail) links Pinhoti Trail with Florida Trail (through some road walking in Alabama) and further north part of Benton MacKaye Trail in Georgia until Mt. Springer where it takes on the AT.

Given that he made it to Georgia on December 1st, and that the A.T runs through 76 miles of Georgia, if he made it to where he was found dead by foot along the ECT, the mileage breakdown from where he was last seen would be: 76 (Georgia A.T) + ~300 (port of BMT) + 335 (PNRT) + 220 (road walking in Alabama) ~1000 (FT until Big Cypress NP) = 1931 miles from December 1st 2017 until the day he died (in July 2018 I assume).

In total, we have at most 8 months (minus the days that have passed since his death), which are ~240 days. Most hikers will take a day off ("zero" as in zero miles) once a week or so, so that could make it 205 total hiking days. His average mileage in that case would be 1931/205 = 9.4 miles a day, which is very close to what his max mileage was reported to be!

[brudgers]

Finding places to sleep would have a massive effect on how far he traveled in a given day. Unlike the west, pitching a tent beside the road is less an option. Partly the weather, partly the density of undergrowth and surface water, and largely the cultural unacceptability. A lot of time each day would go to finding places that looked good enough to work and avoid interference.

[almog]

Right, you might have to pitch early or late to find a decent camping ground, but that would only apply the Alabama road walking part (which is 220 mile long and part of it goes through forests so it's even less). I still think that wouldn't change my rough calculation that could align with him continuing along the ECT.

[brudgers]

Walking along the road with a backpack is more than enough to stop a deputy sheriff pretty much every where in the south. Areas in proximity to the AT are exceptional not typical.

I am not disagreeing with your theory. Just thinking about what walking is like in the south and how it differs from other parts of the US based on nearly a lifetime living there and meaningfully traveling the west in recent years.

[almog]

Got it now. I wonder if it's likely that a deputy sheriff would keep a record of such encounter, during which I assume, they might ask a hiker to provide identifying details.

[brudgers]

A hiker from Baton Rouge is less likely to be caught at unawares and more likely to talk through an encounter. Anyway the odds of someone making paperwork for themselves is pretty low in a chance encounter.