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The thrill of adventure first spurred me to take a term off college and hike the Pacific Crest Trail in 2011. Since then I have hiked over 30,000 miles on many thru-hikes ranging from 200 to 8,000 miles. I have been charged by grizzly bears, attacked by moose, swam frozen rivers, and sprinted through lightning storms. The simplicity of living out of a backpack, being self-sufficient, and covering every mile on foot is the allure.
After my first thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail in 2011, I have gone on to complete the Pacific Northwest Trail (2014), Calendar Year Triple Crown (2016 – Detailed in my book “Free Outside”), Great Western Loop (2018), Arizona Trail (2019), Pinhoti Trail (2019), John Muir Trail (2019), and the Long Trail (2019).
In my book Free Outside I tell the story of my Calendar Year Triple Crown in 2016. I quit my job in February and traveled to Atlanta with the dream of completing the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail all in the same year. It had only been done four other times and I had no idea what I was in for. It was a race to fit 8,000 miles of hiking into one season. I was faced with blizzards, frozen rivers, wildlife encounters, shady characters and numerous injuries. It was the true adventure and adversity I was looking for!
Beyond long thru-hikes I enjoy mountaineering, backcountry skiing, running, and competition. In 2015, while working full time, I climbed the 58 peaks over 14,000 feet in Colorado along with Mt. Rainier in Washington. It was also the year I completed my first backcountry ski race and developed a love of moving in the mountains.
By 2018 I was ready for another giant adventure. I settled on the Great Western Loop. The loop connects the Pacific Crest Trail, Pacific Northwest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, Grand Enchantment Trail, Arizona Trail and a cross country 700 mile route through the Sonoran and Colorado Deserts. I became the second person to complete the 7,000 mile route, joining Andrew Skurka. At the conclusion of the hike I was ready for shorter, faster hikes and began attempting Fastest Know Times (FKTs or Speed Records).
I got my first taste of moving fast when I attempted Nolan’s 14 as part of the Great Western Loop. Nolans links 14 different 14,000 foot peaks in Colorado on a 100 mile route consisting of bushwhacking and rugged trail. I was able to complete the challenge in 59 hours before finishing out the last 2,000 miles of the loop. With the joy of fast movement cemented in my mind, in 2019 I set off to break trail speed records. I started by breaking the Arizona Trail FKT, followed by the Pinhoti Trail and then the Long Trail. This was a completely different experience than I had ever had but I learned “Fast is Fun.”
I grew up in Vancouver, Washington with a brother and a sister as well as two very supportive parents. I have perfected the art of juggling and enjoy reading and writing when I am not on a trail. On every adventure I keep a daily blog and it eventually spurred the most difficult challenge yet: writing a book. Continually balancing work to fund my adventures and my love of the mountains is the puzzle I am working at perfecting.
You can follow me on social media and subscribe to my website:
Website: www.Freeoutside.com
Instagram: @thefreeoutside
YouTube: Freeoutside
Facebook: freeoutside
Twitter: @thefreeoutside
You can contact me at jeff@freeoutside.com
To support further writing consider a donation to https://ko-fi.com/mrgarmire
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