Men we Love: PCT Record-Breaking Josh Garrett

August 12th, 2013 • BY

Josh Garrett wants to make a point. More than simply breaking the speed record on the Pacific Crest Trail six days ago—he through-hiked the PCT in 59 days, 8 hours, 59 minutes—he wanted to show that it could be done on a vegan diet.

And, a point he did make. Garrett averaged an impressive 44.7 miles per day on his trek, covering terrain ranging from the blazing hot Mojave and Anzo Borrego Deserts, where daytime highs exceeded 110 degrees in mid-June, to the towering Sierra Nevada and Cascades of the Pacific Northwest. He not only broke the record, he did so by over five days, more than beating the record set in 2011 by Scott Williamson of 64 days, 11 hours and 19 minutes.

Starting with his departure on June 10th, the vegan hiker raised awareness and funds for Mercy For Animals, a national nonprofit working to prevent cruelty to farmed animals and promote compassionate food choices and policies.

“I’m vegan because I love animals, and they suffer so needlessly on factory farms and slaughterhouses, when a vegan diet provides everything we need for good health, strength, and endurance,” says Garrett, an exercise physiology instructor and track coach at Santa Monica College. “As much as I would have enjoyed taking my time on this hike, I wanted to be a good example and make a point.”
 
Garrett’s hike was supported by Whole Foods CEO John Mackey. “Josh is not only a very nice person, but is also the strongest hiker I have ever had the privilege to hike with,” says Mackey, who personally provided Garrett with hiking gear, food, and water. “Now we see this absolutely extraordinary accomplishment, by an extraordinary man.”

We caught up with the cause-oriented Garrett to get a few, quick insider tidbits on his adventure:

On Eating: I probably ate a thousand vegan bars during the trip. ProBar uses organic, real, “recognizable” ingredients—they are more or less real food and I really like them, though I might not want to see another one for a while after this trip! I’ll be eating others as well, getting as wide a variety of flavors as possible, which makes eating so many bars more palatable.

On PB: I satisfied my peanut butter addiction using those little Justin’s packets of peanut butter. I also ate nuts, cookies, kale chips, corn nuts and some fresh fruit and vegetables the support person dropped along the way.

On Clothing: Long, light-weight hiking pants are important. A lot of insect bites can really put a damper on things. I always wear a long shirt too, even when it’s hot, to protect me from insects and the sun.

On Footwear: Make sure you are really comfortable in your shoes. When I hiked the 2,655-mile PCT the last time, averaging 30 to 35 miles a day, I went without a blister because I wore the kind of running shoes that I wear every day for long runs. This time I also wore running shoes but had more blisters because of the pace. I think some people choose hiking boots because they think they will be sturdy, but that usually means heavy. Your feet might get wet in running shoes but running shoes are porous and dry quickly.

On the PCT: It is extraordinary. It goes through seven national parks and twenty-five national forests, traversing some of the most beautiful places on earth.

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