Scott Williamson set the PCT record at 64d11h19m (north to south), August 8 - October 11, 2011. Scott Williamson & Adam Bradley hold the south to north record at 65d9h58m, June 8 - August 12, 2009
Along with the Continental Divide Trail and the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail is one of the "Big 3" National Scenic Trails. It runs 2655 miles from Mexico to Canada, through the Sonoran & Mojave deserts, and then over the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges. The PCT crosses California, Oregon and Washington, and passes through 24 national forests, 7 national parks and 33 wilderness areas.
David Horton was the first and only person to "run" the entire PCT in fully-supported ultrarunner style, which he did in 66d7h16m, from June 4 to August 9, 2005. Horton's massive effort is beautifully documented in a high-quality film called "The Runner". Some excerpts are available on YouTube. Here is what Sports Illustrated on-line wrote about Horton's trip:
On Aug. 9 -- 66 days, 7 hours and 16 minutes after he started at the U.S.- Mexico border--Horton, 55, crossed into Canada, smashing the 2003 PCT record by 17 days. Averaging 40 miles a day, the kinesiology professor from Virginia suffered just two blisters, both on his left foot. His strangest encounter? "I was buzzed and hit by a goshawk," he says. Toughest stretch? "Going out of Yosemite. We ran out of food for 26 1/2 hours. Our crew couldn't find us. I felt like quitting." Most surreal moment? Finishing the trail in the Cascades: "It was a blur. It doesn't seem like it was that long or that hard or that I even did it."
The PCT is usually done in typical thru-hiker style, which we would classify as "self-supported" -- rather than having a dedicated support crew, the hiker may use mail drops, facillities in towns along the way, and the kindness of strangers. Technically, any pre-arranged support such as friends meeting you along the trail with supplies would be considered "supported". Scott Williamson and Joe Kisner previously held the record for the fastest thru-hiker-style (which they call "unassisted") trip on the PCT at 71d2h41m, set June 8 - August 18, 2008. Here is a brief write-up on their trip. They beat Kisner's record of 79d21h42m, set in 2007.
In perhaps the greatest feat of speed backpacking to that date, Scott Williamson & Adam Bradley surpassed not only the thru-hiker PCT record, but also Horton's fully supported record, by hiking the trail in 65d9h58m from June 8 to August 12, 2009. The pair did not use a vehicle at any time during the trip (backpackers typically hitch hike from the trail to some of the resupply points), adding about 20 miles to the trip. Williamson, who has now hiked the PCT a staggering 12 times, posted a brief summary on the Team Inov8 website, which reads as follows:
On 8/12 at 9:58 PM Adam Bradley and I arrived at the northern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail, 65 days, 9 hours, and 58 minutes after leaving the Mexican border having averaged 40.5 miles a day. We have broken David Horton's record by about 21 hours, the old record being 66 days, 7 hours, 16 minutes. This was the culmination of a dream that we started on June 8Th at 12 PM. We broke this record as backpackers without any outside assistance, doing the trail as backpackers picking up prepacked boxes of food in towns along the tail. In addition we did not use any vehicles at all during our journey, but instead chose to walk into and out of all of our resupply towns which added over 20 miles of walking to the already difficult 2655.4 mile distance we were trying to cover. In the course of going after and breaking David's record I have gained even more respect for him as an athlete setting the record he did in 2005 which was a much higher snow year and thus more difficult year for a speed record than what we had. My feet held up well and the flyrocks performed well. I ended up losing about 25 pounds during the course of the trip and although I do feel somewhat run down overall feel happy to have made it to the finish after battling the flu and non stop 45 degree rain during the last six days of the hike. I will post more once settled back into the off trail life. For now I am happy to report that we met our goal and now hold the all out overall Pacific Crest Trail speed record. -- Scott Williamson, 15 August 2009.
Bradley provided some additional information, stressing the importance of staying on the true PCT in any speed record attemp:
One thing I would like to stress as well for anyone that hopes to challenge the record is that they need to be on the PCT every step of the way. In 2005 when Horton ran the PCT he took the detour around Glacier Peak where Scott and I didn't. This is significant as it takes a road out of the equation (no resupply for runners) and adds 10 miles of old growth blow down to crawl over. In addition about 5-6 glacial melt streams that must be forded. There is no doubt in my mind this adds significant difficulty over the reroute road option. Also in the past some of the PCT speed records have taken alternates to avoid fires etc. I would stress that Scott and I walked the entire PCT and I think if anyone wants to claim a PCT speed record in the future they would need to be on the PCT for the duration of the trip. -- Adam Bradley
Bradley also provides the pair's state times, which he believes to be records for these segments, as well as the midpoint time (note that in 2012 the Midpoint & California times were beaten by Ryan Weidert, see below): - Mexico to midpoint: 34d18h47m2s - midpoint to Canada: 30d15h11m45s - California: 42d18h27m - Oregon: 10d14h14m - Washington: 12d1h17m
Perhaps even more amazingly, in 2011 Williamson beat his record with Bradley by less than one day by hiking north to south in 64d11h19m, August 8 - October 11. This was Williamson's 13th thru-hike of the PCT!
In 2004, Williamson became the first person to complete the PCT "yo-yo", hiking from Mexico to Canada and back in a single season. He repeated the feat in 2006, for a record time of 191d1h20m.
PCT California: Ryan ("Tuna Helper") Weidert went after the PCT speed record (see below) in the summer of 2012. Heading NoBo, he was ahead of record pace until about Crater Lake "when the snow hadn't melted out and made progress slow and awful", so he was unable to complete the whole trail. However Weidert did manage to set new Midpoint (30d9h55m) and full length CA (38d10h00m) speed marks. Weidert used Scott Williamson's self-supported style (no vehicles of any kind), and carried a GPS to verify times and locations. His blog has detailed information, with some additional info added here.
Steven's Pass to Snoqualmie Pass (WA) Section:
Will Thomas provided information on a short section of the PCT that looks like an excellent route worthy of its own FKT. This is a 75 mile segment from in Washington, from Steven's Pass to Snoqualmie Pass. "Next to the Wonderland Trail around Rainier, it is probably the 2nd most popular week-long backpacking excursion in Washington", says Thomas. "These two passes ... are the two main (and closest) passes for driving over the Cascade mountains from the Seattle area. The only access to the PCT between these points would require a good 8-10 mile hike from the end of a Forest Service road." Thomas did the hike on September 12-13, 2008, in a time of 37h17m. His blog gives a detailed report with many stunning photos and some video clips as well. The FKT for this segment of the PCT appears to be held by Eugene Trahern, Mark Hartinger and Ike Hesler, who ran it in 18h05m on July 21, 1995 (according to an email I received from Trahern on June 7, 2010.)
Hi There I am new here so bear with if this somehow gets screwed up. Scott Williamson AKA "Bink" here. Just wanted to put word out that I will be attempting to break the overall speed record for a single continuous hike/run on the 2655 mile Pacific crest trail. As you may know Adam Bradley AKA "Krudmeister" and I co-hold the current record of 65d, 9h, 58m set in 2009. My intention is to do it in the same style that Adam and I did in 2009, that is what we call "unassisted" or "self-supported". This means I will NOT have anyone following, or otherwise meeting me in prearranged manner to give me support. I plan to do this hike as Adam and I did in 2009 as a backpacker, carrying all of my food, equipment, and water between resupply towns, which I will walk into and out to pick up prepacked and mailed food boxes or phurchasing food, in these towns. As with Adam and I in 2009 I will not be getting in a vehicle for any reason during this attempt, if I do it means the attempt is off. I will be following the official PCT route, no detours, road walks or alternates of any kind. For me the style of this undertaking is more important than breaking the record itself. I plan to start around 4:30-5 am on August 8th at monument 78 on the US-Canadian border, at the northern terminus of the PCT. If all goes well , with no specific goal of how many days I will be doing (sub 65 would be great even if only hours), I should hit the Mexican border earl in the day on the 11th of October or earlier.
With all of that out of the way let me expand on a few things. I am only announcing this because I intend to do a fast hike of the PCT and if possible would like to lower the record. However because of work and home obligations I have not been able to train as I would like to have so this is really going to be decided in the first half of the trip for me. In addition I will be doing this solo. On both the 2008 speed hike with Joe Kisner and 2009 with Adam, I felt that undertaking a speed hike of this kind is mentally MUCH easier with someone else doing it with you, than it would be solo. Frankly I do not know how that is going to be. Thinking about this gives me even more respect for David Horton's run in 2005. Yes he had many people meeting him along the way, but he alone was running the entire distance. His record in my opinion is still the "solo" record. The other huge factor is that in 2009 Adam and I went northbound, and had much longer days and warmer weather than I will have on this hike. As a result not only will I end up night hiking more than we did, but will also be affected by weather much more than we were. In short with these factors figured in I give myself a 25% chance at bettering the current record. At the minimum I hope to break the "south bound" speed record, which as far as I know is in the 87-90 day range, (maybe someone can help me with this) depending on who you ask. Failing any of that I will have fun spending time on the trail I Love.
I will not be keeping any sort of blog or website on this self funded effort. I will periodically be in touch with Adam Bradley "Krudmeister" so his blog FSTPKR may be your best bet if you need to know how it is going, although I do not know if he will be posting anything about this. I leave tomorrow for ten days of pre hiking in the north cascades and thus will have no computer access after tonight. Weather I am successful or fail at this I will be back here with a short trip report on what went wrong or right. This is going to be interesting either way, such a late start heading south, who knows. either way I know the reality of what I will be trying to do, thus while I may sound under confident about this, it is more a realistic outlook form experience. Either way the challenge of doing it in the style I have set for myself is far more important than being able to say I broke the record. Adam and Joe: I wish you guys could be along or this one! Onward! BINK
Posted by HR HuffnPuff on Jul 27, 2011, 10:39pm
Go for It Scott!!!
HR
Posted by ZoomLoco on Jul 27, 2011, 11:13pm
Great humble attitude. Go big! "Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." -Gandhi
Just got a update from S-Dub/ Scott Williamson/ Bink... he is out there pulling thru some difficult conditions, but totally on a record pace... send him some love people! He could use some good vibrations/ support/ shouts! Will post more updates as they come thru... yee haw Bink!
Bink is slowly edging up on his one day deficit! His knee is better, but his shorts are blown! Now it is his big toe nail left foot getting infected... the journey continues at a record pace though!
Bink is the Man,and Krud is also in that category. I wonder what Bink could do with just a little support,like a trailside resupply. I dont see an ethical problem with that. I truly beleive that nobody without previous pct hiking time could make a run at this record. I would hate to see anyone break this record,that does not love the PCT as much as Bink. Hes a true class act,and a great spokesman for long distance hikers. Hes never made himself bigger then the PCT,and works hard to continue his passion. Long live the PCT King!
Posted by Eurotrash on Mar 20, 2012, 8:16am
Hi,
Good job Bink and congratulations on breaking the record. I thru hiked the PCT 2011 and we actually met briefly on the trail. What puzzles me a lot is, why would you wan't to hike the same trail 13 times? I hiked it and it's beautiful but there are more trails that you can hike in all over the world. Nepal, New Zealand, Japan, Austria and the list goes on...
Hello Everyone! Ryan Weidert, AKA Tuna Helper here. I’d like to let my intentions be known that I will be attempting to break the overall speed record (64 days 11 hours 19 minutes by Scott Williamson 2011) for hiking the entire length of the entire Pacific Crest Trail going northbound. I will adhere to the same “self-supported” and “unassisted” style as the current records. This style means a great many things, most of which I’ve copied directly or paraphrased from the posts and correspondence of current record holders (Scott Williamsons (Bink) and Adam Bradley (Krusmeister)). In adhering to the guidelines of the current records, ‘I will NOT have anyone following, or otherwise meeting me in prearranged manner to give me support. I plan to do this hike as a backpacker, carrying all of my food, equipment, and water between resupply towns. I will walk into supply towns to pick up mailed, prepackaged food boxes or to purchase food, then walk back to the trail via the same route I came in on. I will not be getting into a vehicle for any reason during this attempt, or skipping any section of trail. If I receive a lift from any vehicle or skip a portion of trail (no matter the distance) the attempt is off. I will be following the official PCT route, taking no detours, road walks or alternates of any kind.’
I will be attempting to break this record as a solo hiker and will be starting sometime between May 20-30th. I will post my official start date once I have it pinned down. My main reasons for this attempt is to test myself and what I am capable of, the record being the bar in which to compare myself with other awesome endurance athletes. My ultimate goal is to hike the trail in under 60 days, however, completing it very fast is good enough, as I love the PCT. I am also planning my food and schedule to attempt a Yo-Yo. This, however is highly dependant on how I feel once (and if) I complete the trail. I’ll periodically be in contact with family members and relay my progress, which I hope to have posted on FTK. I’m willing to contact someone else I don’t know as an outside contact to help verify my progress. I am considering taking a GPS to have extra verification of my hike since I am hiking solo and independent verification is more difficult. I want to be as open as I can with this so there is as little possibility of ‘drama’ or questions if I manage to succeed. Any suggestions or comments as to how I can possibly improve my openness and or verify my hike more clearly will be welcome and considered. My admiration for the trail and those who hike it runs deep and I can’t wait to test myself and get dirty!
Hi All, I would like to update the departure date for my solo PCT "self supported" speed record attempt for 2012. I will be leaving the southern terminus at the Mexican border on May 25th, at 6:00am if everything goes to plan. During the attempt I will have a friend relay updates I send to him while on trail. I should be able to send a photo of my start via cell phone and have him post a link. Updates will be brief and intermittent, most likely more numerous in southern California. I'll post my current distance I've traveled and the coordinates of the last place I spent the night. If all goes well, I should arrive at the Canadian border in late July! All my previously mentioned intentions remain the same. Cheers,
Tuna "Ryan Weidert" Helper
EDITED: Forgot to add 'am' to my 6:00 start time!
Posted by Bill Pi Murphy on May 26, 2012, 9:30am
Hi,
I thought I'd start a thread in 'General', please move this if it belongs elsewhere. I'll be posting updates from Ryan Weidert as he hikes on the PCT.
He called Thursday (two days ago, before starting his hike) and he was watching a wildfire near Julian, CA that was near the trail. He has been intending to start on Friday the 25th for a while. Bummer, eh? Well, it didn't look too bad, and there is nice weather in so-cal, so why not start, and then take a 'do over' and start again if the fire holds him up?
Friday (yesterday) he called, said he was started. I'm not certain of the exact start time, but he had gone more than four miles and I hadn't yet even rolled over and looked at my clock radio. That's his most recent update.
His gear list is sparse, with a base weight around 8 and a FSO (from skin out, all clothes & such) around 11 pounds.
I don't know what makes a speed attempt a success or not, clearly there's some "what your born with" that goes into it.
If it's based on careful prep of all the supplies, things like ability (& patience!) to re-bag mac-n-cheese into ziplocks that have been perfectly resized to hold it, that now have a separate compartment for the cheese powder and an addition of an exact amount of parmesan, then I don't know anyone with a better shot at a record.
I'll update here when I know more.. No matter what, his summer hiking sounds pretty delux compared to my summer jockeying a desk job 5-days a week.
Ryan started his hike just over a week ago; on a Friday morning approximately 6am. By friday (a week later) he was passing Cajon Pass, some 340'ish miles north. Yesterday, he was by the 'endangered toad detour' (which if I wasn't lazy I could correlate to a specific milage.. Somewhere like 380/390.) I'd figure that puts him at nearly-50 per day, maybe 48-50. I've done some fifty mile days, even once or twice done back-to-back fifties. I have no idea what a week of them feels like though!
He says he's making 3+mph consistently. Hunger hasn't turned on yet, he'd like it if the hunger didn't start till after the Sierras, but likely it will not hold for that long.
I'm not familiar with his exact plans, but I believe he is ahead of the previous records pace. Just one week in though, so much can still happen in a summer.
Thought everyone might enjoy hearing the update. I tried posting similar when he was two days in, but have lost the thread. Perhaps this is spam? This time I've registered, so if this is out of place, admins/mods please advise and I'll knock it off.
Happy trails all!
Posted by Bill Murphy on Jun 30, 2012, 8:35pm
Ryan past mile 1600 (approx Etna for those that know the trail) today. I'm not sure if my count is right, I think this is about 36.5 days. He is going strong, with a 51 mile day yesterday. I think the "CA record" is about to be taken by him in the next few days.
It is hard to be an arm-chair-hiker while getting his updates. I'm not sure of his mind set or goals currently, but from where I am it seems he is well aimed to go sub-60 days for his whole hike. Clearly there is a lot that can happen still and it is never certain, yet it is tempting to take his current pace and estimate out..
I hear on pct-l (and from Ryan) that there is still significant snow. He is entering the Marble Mountains and will know how it is very soon.
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