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PCT in 71 days, new record

Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 8:06 pm
by hikerduane
Anyone catch that story about the days to complete the PCT had the record broken by a pair of California men? California boys, or should I say, men. Surprised how old the guys were. Truckee's Scott Williamson, and Huntington Beach's Joe Kisner hiked together. Can you imagine, leaving Mexico on June 8? I don't believe anyone had a post here. It was in the Sunday, Dec. 7, 'Nevada Appeal'.

Re: PCT in 71 days, new record

Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 9:58 pm
by Shawn
I didn't see that story but read this recently -

David Horton is a 58-year-old professor of kinesiology who has devoted much of his life to running courses so long, steep, and absurdly brutal that many other merely elite runners-marathon champions, for example-chuckle and shake their heads when they read of his exploits. Horton set a speed record by running the 2,175-mile length of the Appalachian Trail in 1991 in 52 days, nine hours, and 41 minutes, and he inspired a movie when he set a record running the Pacific Crest Trail in 2005, all 2,650 miles of it (he did it in 66 days, seven hours, and 16 minutes, a record that still stands).

Source: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7 ... -0,00.html

Hard to imagine isn't it.

Re: PCT in 71 days, new record

Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 10:21 pm
by dave54
All the more power to them.

That's not my style. I would rather see how slow I can go. I am not bothered by people passing me by, whether I am hiking, biking, or paddling.

Re: PCT in 71 days, new record

Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 12:38 am
by Snow Nymph
same here. We did the JMT in 30 days. the first 100 mi in 10 days,and the 2nd 100 in 20 days. Some days we didn't go far, but got to enjoy being there. Some days we didn't see anyone. That was cool having the whole area to ourselves.

Re: PCT in 71 days, new record

Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 4:43 am
by The Other Tom
dave54 wrote:All the more power to them.

That's not my style. I would rather see how slow I can go. I am not bothered by people passing me by, whether I am hiking, biking, or paddling.
+1
I like to enjoy my wilderness experience. That's why I go to begin with.

Re: PCT in 71 days, new record

Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 9:00 am
by dave54
Snow Nymph wrote:same here. We did the JMT in 30 days. the first 100 mi in 10 days,and the 2nd 100 in 20 days...
When I was 20 a group of us did the JMT in 12 days unsupported/no resupply. Now I think "Why the @#$%^ did I do that?". I can barely remember the trip, we went through so fast. :(

Now, of course, I am too old to even think about something like that again. Some of my most memorable recent trips involve only traveling a couple miles and making camp again, staying an extra layover day to enjoy the area.

Re: PCT in 71 days, new record

Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:54 am
by BSquared
Snow Nymph wrote:We did the JMT in 30 days. The first 100 mi in 10 days,and the 2nd 100 in 20 days. Some days we didn't go far, but got to enjoy being there.
How did you handle all the resupplies, Snowy? I'd love to do a nice, leisurely JMT thru hike, but I just can't figure out how to handle more than a couple of resupplies from way out here on the right coast.

-B2

Re: PCT in 71 days, new record

Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:41 pm
by trav867
I know I may be in the minority here, but I generally avoid the PCT/JMT whenever possible. It always seems like the PCT is wider, dustier, and less enjoyable than other sierra trails. As a marathon runner and competitive person I can definitely see the fun and adventure in doing it as fast as possible, though.

Re: PCT in 71 days, new record

Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 8:08 pm
by MooseTracks
BSquared wrote:How did you handle all the resupplies, Snowy? I'd love to do a nice, leisurely JMT thru hike, but I just can't figure out how to handle more than a couple of resupplies from way out here on the right coast.

-B2

B2:

Besides the normal mailing drop-offs, there are a number of people in the Eastern Sierra whom you could contact to haul food in (and probably garbage out). I know there were a number of posts on the Whitney Portal Board about haul-ins. I even helped three of my friends resupply this year at Charlotte Lake, then stayed in for four days myself.

Costs may vary: I did not charge my friends, especially since I got to turn it into a really grand adventure myself! (Climbed Mts. Bago and Brewer during the four days).

-Laura :cool:

Re: PCT in 71 days, new record

Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 9:29 pm
by hikerduane
Shawn, the newspaper source must have been for bper records, not runners.:) Supported or unsupported?

I think last year, a new record was set for the JMT, absurd time. Because it is there I guess. I thought it was bad enough, when thru hikers hike till dark. It becomes like a job with mandatory overtime.

In my experience, you use the JMT/PCT to get somewhere, then you get off of it to enjoy the solitude in places most folks will never visit, because they heard how great the main trail is. I want to do the JMT sometime, but right now, I want to visit all the lakes off the main trail. SSSSSSSDave will agree.:) Three years ago, doing a loop around Silver Pass, the second day and a half I saw no one, then I didn't see anyone for two days. Once I hit the JMT again, within thirty minutes I counted almost 20 people.