AzT... Have 2 weeks off? There ya go..

[hikeaz]

Most people who attempt a hasty thru-hike of the Arizona Trail plan on 40 to 50 days. That means you’re hiking 15 to 20 miles per day, with a few days of rest along the way. But there’s a rare breed of athlete out there who delights in pushing the limits of human endurance, sleep deprivation and resourcefulness by chasing the coveted FKT (Fastest Known Time) for long-distance trails. On October 30, Josh Perry established a new self-supported FKT for the AZT when he covered over 800 miles in 14 days, 12 hours, 21 minutes. That amounts to 55 miles per day without any significant rest.

Although you may not have heard of Josh Perry before, his ultra-accomplishments are very impressive. The 24-year-old from the United Kingdom has walked across Europe and Japan, and has completed the Continental Divide and Appalachian National Scenic Trails. He’s also survived a 5,000-mile bike trip across the Yukon, and just this year has covered more than 14,000 miles on foot. His Modus Operandi is to work for 7 months, then use the other 5 months to chase adventure.

Josh set the FKT for the Long Trail in Vermont in June, but that record fell to Jeff “Legend” Garmire shortly thereafter. After his AZT FKT earlier this year, Legend went after the Long Trail FKT. The AZT was already on Josh’s radar, and the thought of capturing an FKT from someone who had just taken his was too tempting to pass up. So he left the Utah border on October 16 with a goal of breaking 14 days.

He was blessed with mild weather the entire time, and averaged 55.2 miles per day. Josh’s base weight was a scant 6 pounds, and he carried little more than a pad, sleeping bag and ultra lightweight tarp. Despite developing a stress fracture of his tibia along the way, Josh maintained a solid pace every day. He mailed himself a total of 7 packages to gateway communities, which helped fuel his need to consume 8,000 calories per day. His favorite snack…sour gummy worms.

One of the things that surprised Josh most about the AZT was the trail’s biodiversity. After crossing the Colorado Plateau and its seemingly endless ponderosa pine forests, he enjoyed the ups and downs of the sky islands and all the views they afforded. Josh used chemical treatment to purify his water – but only for the first week. After that, he skipped filtration entirely since waterborne illnesses typically take a week to incubate and begin causing digestive issues. So to save time, he just drank what he found along the way.

Josh was shocked with the total number of water caches he found, and thinks that AZT Trail Angels are the best he’s ever encountered on any trail. One particularly memorable moment was when he stumbled into THAT Brewery in Pine, AZ just before closing time. “It felt like I was running into an aid station at an ultra,” he said. “They gave me food, beer, ice for my ankle, and were just incredible. Probably the nicest people I’ve ever met.”

October’s nighttime temperature swings were a challenge, but a complete lack of precipitation made for comfortable hiking. Josh averaged 5 hours of sleep per night, and figures he spent 1/3 of his time hiking during the dark hours. He planned in advance to tackle all of the hardest climbs in the dark so as not to get zapped by the sun. During the night he saw abundant wildlife, including javelina, skunks and a mountain lion.

Josh is grateful for the kindness of AZT users and the Arizona Trail Association for maintaining such a beautiful trail. He also thinks the trail can be accomplished a bit faster – probably under 14 days.

[Jim]

Stress fractures? Drinking contaminated water that might make him sick, all because those pesky chemical treatment pills were so heavy and he couldn't carry them? Sleeping 5 hours a night? Doing 55 miles a day? Gee, what is not to like?

Seriiously, why don't people like this just whip it out and measure it and get it over with?

[LosDosSloFolks]

@Jim_H
Stride length, right?

[FOTG]

Any truth to the rumor that he lost five hours of time for making a wrong turn in the Mazzies due to a faulty GPS app?

[SuperstitionGuy]

Says the HAZ'er that posted twice... ha ha

[sidhayes]

@Jim_H
Right. Do it your way. The right way.

[toddak]

8000 calories a day! Shelled nuts are about the most calorie dense food there is, he'd need about 3 pounds of shelled peanuts or almonds per day to get that many calories.

[rcorfman]

A small glimpse into Josh Perry

[chumley]

@rcorfman
35:24 more of a glimpse than I have time for!

[chumley]

Seriously, why don't people like this just whip it out and measure it and get it over with?

Measuring things seems to be a popular activity amongst some around here. It's nice to know it's ok for somebody to change their personal viewpoints of what things are worth measuring--and what things aren't--over the course of time (Caution! Time is actually the measurement this post is talking about! )

But, dayem is it funny reading some of the posts from a different time:
The ongoing 2009-2019 thread: [ The 2019!! Cyclical totals discussion thread. ]
And an earlier one: [ 2008 How much have you done this year? ]

[Jim]

@chumley
Indeed. I partly expected you or someone else to bring those old threads up, but I will point out that even though I did focus on stats A LOT in the past, and I still think of them, I never did or do not recall doing a hike that was dangerous, or one which I felt might have long term health consequences if something went wrong. Certainly not for stats, and I think at all. Of course, that is a matter of debate to many, I expect. Any chance you noticed my edit I made in August?

I also recognize the arrogance of me disliking the way some whippersnapper chose to "complete his hike", I mostly just feel like I'm commenting on the tendency to celebrate extremest behavior. See my above post for the specifics. I'm basically calling it out for what it is. I think we all know the long departed member who pretty much everyone knew was just making stats up. Most can't understand why, other than for ego. There always seems to be some root of the real issue. We can debate what it is, I expressed my belief.

[rcorfman]

@chumley
Sigh, I suppose you'd only get 53 to 53.5 miles in, instead of 55.

[Hippy]

It's been three years since my GPS took me offtrail in the mazzies...I ended up at Grand Canyon somehow...I'm still working on my SKT (slowest known time). I might finish the 800 miles sometime on 2021.

[Tough_Boots]

@Hippy
I thought you went off track in the Huachuca's

[Hippy]

@Tough_Boots that was specifically to obtain more margarita mix.