Triple Crown | Books and my backpack

As you begin Free Outside, prepare for a story about one of America’s greatest trekking accomplishments.

In 2016, Jeff Garmire, 25, set out to become the youngest person to complete the 8,000-mile Triple Crown of distance trekking in a calendar year, a feat accomplished only four times before.

Remarkably, he never skipped sections to take advantage of better weather by returning to the skipped parts later. He stayed on each trail through its end. His first was the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail. As he neared the end in Maine, after miles and miles in deep snow, he faced a raging river. He was not about to give up his quest, so he stripped naked and plunged in.

He describes his ordeal:

”The current grabbed hold, moving quicker than my mind could think…I screamed in desperation and my body lost all sensation. I moved motionless downstream, strapped to a 30-pound pack. I was helpless.”

I became increasingly drawn to his narrative as he describes his next challenge, the Pacific Crest Trail, 2,650 miles, northbound. It was his favorite path and he writes that the snowy 200 miles through the Sierra Nevada was the most beautiful section of the Crown. He averaged 33 miles a day; his longest in one day was 52 miles in California.

The 3,100-mile Continental Divide Trail, the least traveled of the three, gave him challenges that would bring mortals to their knees as he walked southbound from Montana’s border with Canada to New Mexico and the Mexican border. He often had to drink from water sources that cattle had used for their bathrooms. His filter left the water brown, tasting like you-know-what.

How many pairs of trail runners did he go through during the Triple Crown? Thirteen. How many rest (zero) days did he take over 244 days? None.

In a way, the Triple Crown was a beginning. In 2018, Garmire, raised in the Pacific Northwest, became the second person to complete the 6,875-mile Great Western Loop through nine western states on five distance trails, including repeat journeys on the PCT and CDT.

How many miles has he walked on distance trails? More than 30,000.

You may ask why.

It is his antidote for his lifelong battle with depression and his frustration with the routines of the working world. He basks in the simplicity of life with a backpack. He dedicates himself to promoting suicide prevention. He endures pain and hardships that would halt most of us. He thrives on meeting people on the trails, but walks so fast that he soon leaves them behind.

Ultimately, his quests come down to this: Outside, Jeff Garmire feels free.

Our six miles on the Appalachian Trail during our tour of Virginia stirred affection and respect for one of the world’s great long-distance paths. In Shenandoah National Park, we entered the AT at the Thornton Gap trailhead parking lot.

The trail led us over a mostly rocky surface with more than 1,700 feet of climbing. We took a quick detour to Mary’s Rock, where Sue took in the view, then we continued southbound to the Bird’s Nest #3 Shelter, one of more than 250 shelters spread over the AT’s 2,190 miles. In order to sleep in the huts, campers must be traveling at least three consecutive days on the AT. The Bird’s Nest featured a rock fireplace, wooden sleeping platform, a nearby privy as well as a bear box and hanger poles to keep food safe. Thru hikers must use the shelter unless it is full, when they may use designated campsites nearby. I ate my lunch while sitting on the platform and imagined the hut filled with sleeping bags and trekkers. I could almost hear the snoring and smell the trail grime.

The higher we went, the less spring we witnessed as the season had delayed its arrival. We passed six or seven northbound thru hikers, who all traveled solo and appeared to be in their 20s. I resisted asking where they started and where their destination was. They all were in a hurry since a storm was moving in, but they took the time for a brief friendly greeting. I wished I had brought along some trail magic (beers?) to hand off as they passed.