Colorado native broke the record for the fastest solo unsupported hike.
Colorado native Jeff Garmire has set a new record for the fastest time ever to complete an unsupported hike along the Colorado Trail.
Garmire made the 486-mile journey in nine days, 8 hours, and 18 minutes. He started at the trailhead in Durango and made the hike all the way to Denver. Garmire was unsure when he started out if he would be able to complete the whole trail, but welcomed the challenge.
Despite COVID-19, forest fires, and extreme weather, Garmire decided to give the hike try.
“I decided to go after an unsupported 500-mile FKT (Trail record) simply because it was something new and a challenge I had never explored. I wanted to find my limits while only dependent on myself and what was in my pack for 9 days,” Jeff Garmire.
Garmire started the hike on Friday, August 28, before dawn, and completed his journey on the afternoon of Sunday, September 6. He averaged about 52 miles per day to complete the hike in record time. To complete the hike and set a record for the fastest known time (FKT) unsupported, he needed to carry all of his supplies with him and he could not leave the trail to resupply.
Garmire is an avid thru-hiker and is not new to FKTs; he set records before on the Arizona Trail, Long Trail, and Pinhoti Trail in 2019. He also completed a calendar year Triple Crown hike, where he hiked the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail in 2016. He wrote a book about that experience Free Outside: A Trek Against Time and Distance.
Garmire broke the previous speed record for the Colorado Trail, which had been set in 2016 by John Zahorian, who completed the FKT trek in nine days, 12 hours, and 32 minutes. Garmire’s time was verified by Fastest Known Time and a day-by-day account of his hike is posted on their website.
Congratulations to Garmire on his newest record—that's quite a feat! Have you ever taken on an unsupported or self-supported speed hike? Share your experiences with us in the comments.