Just Keep Walking (?)
This summer we abandoned our first hike when we reached Burney Falls State Park, which is on the Pacific Crest Trail. While we were drinking beers and cooling off from the 100 degree temperatures we met a hiker named Josh Perry. He was attempting to break the speed record for completing the entire 2650 mile PCT. At that time the speed record was 51 days supported (for example, with a team that provides you with food and shelter as you travel) or 60 days self-supported (for example, making all your own arrangements for food and shelter, etc along the way). The former was set in 2021 by a heavily supported ultra-marathoner sponsored by Adidas. The latter was set by Heather Anderson in 2013.
Perry was going self-supported but trying to break both records, which would have required a daily average of over 53 miles. At the time we met him he was above that pace more than half way through, but needless to say that takes a tremendous toll on the body. He was, to our eyes, looking terrible. His feet, in particular, were covered in deep open cracks and sores that were bleeding and looking pretty funky. Mrs. Orca, who often dispenses minor first aid to ragged characters on trail, literally glued these wounds closed using a tube of vetbond, a kind of superglue marketed for pets.
Honestly we did not think he stood a chance of finishing near the record, and we were really concerned for his actual safety. But in fact he did finish in 55 days, handily beating the self-supported record and coming pretty close to the supported one, all things considered. This is all the more amazing considering that things actually got much worse for him farther along the trail before he finished.
To say that this version of hiking and what Mrs. Orca and I do are not in the least related would be an understatement. Not only could I not do what these folks do, I do not believe I could take any pleasure in it even if I could do it. But, even though I can't begin to understand them, they are remarkable nonetheless.
Burney Falls, Burney Falls State Park, California.
Just Keep Walking (?)
This summer we abandoned our first hike when we reached Burney Falls State Park, which is on the Pacific Crest Trail. While we were drinking beers and cooling off from the 100 degree temperatures we met a hiker named Josh Perry. He was attempting to break the speed record for completing the entire 2650 mile PCT. At that time the speed record was 51 days supported (for example, with a team that provides you with food and shelter as you travel) or 60 days self-supported (for example, making all your own arrangements for food and shelter, etc along the way). The former was set in 2021 by a heavily supported ultra-marathoner sponsored by Adidas. The latter was set by Heather Anderson in 2013.
Perry was going self-supported but trying to break both records, which would have required a daily average of over 53 miles. At the time we met him he was above that pace more than half way through, but needless to say that takes a tremendous toll on the body. He was, to our eyes, looking terrible. His feet, in particular, were covered in deep open cracks and sores that were bleeding and looking pretty funky. Mrs. Orca, who often dispenses minor first aid to ragged characters on trail, literally glued these wounds closed using a tube of vetbond, a kind of superglue marketed for pets.
Honestly we did not think he stood a chance of finishing near the record, and we were really concerned for his actual safety. But in fact he did finish in 55 days, handily beating the self-supported record and coming pretty close to the supported one, all things considered. This is all the more amazing considering that things actually got much worse for him farther along the trail before he finished.
To say that this version of hiking and what Mrs. Orca and I do are not in the least related would be an understatement. Not only could I not do what these folks do, I do not believe I could take any pleasure in it even if I could do it. But, even though I can't begin to understand them, they are remarkable nonetheless.
Burney Falls, Burney Falls State Park, California.