Yesterday I posted a story about Josh Garrett closing in on the end of the Pacific Crest Trail and a new speed record for the hike. As expected, Josh did finish his journey yesterday, clocking in with a time of 59 days, 8 hours and 59 mintutes. That shaves more than five days off the previous record and is certainly an impressive feat.

Little did I know that when I posted that story I was actually wading into a bit of a controversy that has been going on in the thru-hiking community. You see, while Josh was busy chasing his record on the 2655-mile (4272 km) PCT another hiker was just a day ahead of him and in pursuit of a record of her own. The way these two hikers went about their journey is now a source of debate amongst other long-distance trekkers, creating a controversy of sorts around these speed records.

On Wednesday of this week, Heather "Anish" Anderson wrapped up her own end-to-end hike of the PCT. Her official time was 60 days, 17 hours and 12 minutes, which would have been good enough for a new record as well, although it was beaten by Josh the following day. So here is where the controversy comes in. Heather was making her trek unsupported in that she had to do everything on her own, while Josh had a single-person support crew who brought him food and other supplies to the trail. He was also sponsored by John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods, who helped fund the adventure.

The lines between what is "supported" and "unsupported" start to get blurred a bit however as there are reports that Heather also had a few people with good intentions delivering her supplies to her on the trail as well. She often posted about her hike on the Internet as well, sharing the details of where she would be on certain dates, which prompted some people to gather at access points along the trail to offer words of encouragement while also offering food and drinks to keep her going. Whether or not that still qualifies as "unsupported" is entirely up to you to decide.

Thru-hikers are a resourceful, independent bunch and I personally feel that some of them didn't appreciate the fact that Josh had a sponsor that assisted on his trek. This resulted in a bit of a backlash within that group for how he went about the attempt on the speed record. Either way, I'm not going to wade into the middle of this debate because quite frankly I think that both Josh and Heather accomplished something very cool. They may have taken slightly different approaches to their PCT speed hikes, but they both covered all of those miles at impressive rates.

I want to congratulate both Josh and Heather and leave it at that. They are both inspirations.

Back in early June I posted a story about vegan hiker Josh Garrett who was about to attempt to set a new record for thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. At the time, Josh was just starting out on his adventure and still had most of the 2655-mile (4272 km) route still ahead of him. Now, nearly two months later, he is nearing the end and a new record for this epic hike is now in sight.

According to Josh's support team he should be approaching the finish line at the border between the U.S. and Canada later today. He is expected to wrap up his journey in the early afternoon local time. While we'll have to wait to see what his official time will be, he will complete the hike in under 60 days. The previous record was 64 days, 11 hours and 19 minutes. That means that for the past two months, Josh has been averaging more than 44 miles (70 km) per day, on foot, through some rather rugged terrain. That is an impressive stat to say the least.

The 30-year old Garrett is a college track coach who has hiked the PCT before. Back in 2009 he did it a more leisurely pace (at least for him!) completing the route in 88 days. This time out he not only wanted to set a new record but he was also raising funds for Mercy For Animals, a nonprofit dedicated to stamping out the cruel treatment of animals.

For updates on Josh's progress, watch his Facebook page. It should be updated shortly after he completes the trek and hopefully provides us with an official time.

Not a bad way to spend your summer. Take a little hike on one of the world's best long distance trails, maybe set a new speed record in the process. Congrats to Josh on a job well done!

Yesterday, long distance hiker Josh Garrett launched his attempt to set a new record for hiking the Pacific Crest Trail end-to-end. The 30-year old track coach at Santa Monica College will be trekking the entire 2655 mile (4272 km) this summer as he also hopes to raise funds and awareness for a cause that is very near and dear to his heart.

The current speed record for the PCT is 64 days, which means in order to break the record, Garrett will need to average close to 42 miles per day for more than two months. Thats a pretty grueling pace for most of us, although he does have the benefit of having walked the entire trail before. Back in 2009 he backpacked the PCT in 88 days, which is a great effort for someone who wasn't even considering a speed record at the time.

While on his hike this summer, Garrett hopes to raise funds and awareness for the Mercy For Animals organization. It's a non-profit dedicated to preventing cruelty to farmed animals. Over the past 18 months Josh has become a vegan and that lifestyle has inspired him to want to do more for improving the way we treat animals in general. The MFA website has posted an interview with him discussing his efforts. They also have a page in place for anyone who wants to sponsor Josh. He is hoping to raise $26,550 and is already nearly 10% of the way there.

The Pacific Crest Trail wanders from the border of Mexico to the border of Canada along the far-western portion of the United States. The route goes through the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges, providing hikers with some extremely scenic landscapes along the way. It passes through California, Oregon and Washington, avoiding civilization almost entirely. It is considered one of the best long-distance hiking routes in the world and true gem amongst backpackers the world over.

You can follow Josh on his adventure along the PCT at his Twitter feed which is @VeganHiker. Not too many updates so far, but hopefully we'll hear from him regularly as he attempts the new speed record.

Two intrepid backpackers are about to embark on an epic journey that will take them along the entire length of the Pacific Crest Trail. Their adventure will cover hundreds of miles of backcountry through some of the most scenic and remote areas in the entire U.S., sending them off on one of the truly great long-distance hikes in the world. But these men aren't just taking this walk for the pure adventure, as both of them are trekking for an important cause that is near and dear to their hearts.

On April 15 – Monday of next week – Tim Deatherage and Zach Barnard will begin their hike near the Mexican border in Southern California. From there, they'll trek north, following the spectacular PCT the entire way. The 2663 mile (4285 km) journey will take them approximately five to six month to complete, ending in Manning Park, Canada. Along the way they'll pass through Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks, wander past Mt. Shasta and Rainier, and over Snoqualmie Pass and northern Cascade Mountains.

As I mentioned, both men will be trekking to raise funds for their own individual causes. For Tim, a former military officer who served for 11 years, that cause is the Operation Warrior Wellness program. OWW seeks to help veterans suffering Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder through the use of Transcendental Meditation techniques. Zach on the other hand will be walking to raise funds and awareness of Cystic Fibrosis, a disease that attacks the lungs and digestive system of those afflicted. Zach has a close family member who has struggled with CF their entire life and so his efforts will go towards helping the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Once underway next week, you'll be able to follow Tim and Zach's progress on their website Trek4ACause.com or on their Trek4ACause Facebook page. Good luck guys and enjoy the PCT.

Thanks to Amanda Lee for sharing this great story!