This amazes me, as it will you, but also...
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makes me shake my head and ask, "Why?"
A guy just broke the record for his thru hike on the Pacific Crest Trail. For those of you who don't know The PCT starts at the Mexican border and ends at Canada.... through California and the Sierra Nevada mountains.. thru Oregon and Washington. It is 2,653 miles long. This guy hiked it in just under 46 days. That's about 57 miles per day.
I've hiked hundreds of miles on the PCT... (never close to a thru hike).... the longest distance on one hike I traveled was the John Muir Trail. (JMT is a center section of the PCT). JMT is about 242 miles long... on my trip I had extra miles to restock, (food), so my trip came to about 270 miles. I have taken many shorter hikes along the JMT and PCT so I know the trail pretty well in California... it is NO easy stroll. It's up and down and on some days having to climb over 4,000' twice in one day. The MOST miles I ever hiked in one day was 22.... this guy did 57 and did it for 46 days in a row!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No choice but to applaud this guys achievement and stamina but I have to ask myself, "Why?". Hiking the PCT and JMT you pass thru some of the most beautiful sights in the world. Every single day is a wonder. And to just put your head down and barrel down the trail flying past it all? Makes no sense.
My longest day was on my second long backpacking trip, I was a novice to backpacking. I planned well beforehand. Back then I could easily hike 18 miles a day carrying 40 to 70lbs even in the roughest sections of the trail... so I planned my hike that way. Stupidest mistake I ever made in my life.
. If all I was doing was 'working out' while on the trail why not just stay home? I passed by many of the most beautiful lakes in existence like a freight train going by.... completely unable to 'take it in'. To my credit... in the years that followed and on my many backpacking trips I never made that mistake again. I stopped to smell the roses.
So... accolades to this guy, quite an achievement. I do not envy his accomplishment one single bit. - JamesJM
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2026 12:54PM by JamesJM.
A guy just broke the record for his thru hike on the Pacific Crest Trail. For those of you who don't know The PCT starts at the Mexican border and ends at Canada.... through California and the Sierra Nevada mountains.. thru Oregon and Washington. It is 2,653 miles long. This guy hiked it in just under 46 days. That's about 57 miles per day.
I've hiked hundreds of miles on the PCT... (never close to a thru hike).... the longest distance on one hike I traveled was the John Muir Trail. (JMT is a center section of the PCT). JMT is about 242 miles long... on my trip I had extra miles to restock, (food), so my trip came to about 270 miles. I have taken many shorter hikes along the JMT and PCT so I know the trail pretty well in California... it is NO easy stroll. It's up and down and on some days having to climb over 4,000' twice in one day. The MOST miles I ever hiked in one day was 22.... this guy did 57 and did it for 46 days in a row!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No choice but to applaud this guys achievement and stamina but I have to ask myself, "Why?". Hiking the PCT and JMT you pass thru some of the most beautiful sights in the world. Every single day is a wonder. And to just put your head down and barrel down the trail flying past it all? Makes no sense.
My longest day was on my second long backpacking trip, I was a novice to backpacking. I planned well beforehand. Back then I could easily hike 18 miles a day carrying 40 to 70lbs even in the roughest sections of the trail... so I planned my hike that way. Stupidest mistake I ever made in my life.
. If all I was doing was 'working out' while on the trail why not just stay home? I passed by many of the most beautiful lakes in existence like a freight train going by.... completely unable to 'take it in'. To my credit... in the years that followed and on my many backpacking trips I never made that mistake again. I stopped to smell the roses.So... accolades to this guy, quite an achievement. I do not envy his accomplishment one single bit. - JamesJM
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2026 12:54PM by JamesJM.
