I met Jennifer in 2011 during her record hike and I must say her and her husband were some of the best people I got to meet. I went by Fishhook and me and a couple (Squirrel Nut & Mufasa.) were hiking the Shenandoah's when we met her at a road crossing sky line drive. She talked to us briefly and explained what she was doing so we quickly gave her some space for new socks and shoes and a Gallon of Ice Cream For pure Calories, essentially a pit stop. Her Husband talked with us while she prepped her feet and hands and relaxed for around 15-20 min before she began again. She gave us the Ice Cream she couldn't finish and smiled knowing we would love it, ( and we very much did). I relate to this talk so much I think about it everyday and even more as I sit at my work station. People can judge and say what they will but her accomplishment is incredible by any standards. Thru-hiking is an awe-inspiring achievement but to do it in 46 days, Hats off. So don't hate go give it a try for a week or even a weekend. You may just see a little bit of what its like. Then think that she walked between 40 and 50 miles a day. NUTS!!!
A metaphor, her presentation and many things she described in it are helpful to disabled/injured people like myself. I used to hike and mountain bike a lot until my injury. The pain I now experience when walking is extreme. I don't like injury pain, it is different than usual pain. But thanks to the things she talked about I will do it every day with a different perspective.
outrageous accomplishment !! congratulations. time is everything to a walker and an amazing time you had. your better for it too. thanks for sharing loved it KEEP WALKING
Why all the negative comments? She set the speed record -you do that by being assisted and not carrying much of a pack. Let everybody HYOH. Some of us like to go slower and others like to go as fast as possible - they're all unique achievements!
L8Hiker "Why all the negative comments? ", That's easy. How else are those who never do shit with their lives, compared to hiking 100 miles or the AT's total length or hike all the AT AND set a new record going to feel equal or superior to such achievers?
While I don't care for her presentation style...much prefer Andrew Skurka...I don't get the criticism of what she did. She has already hiked the AT once without a support crew in a traditional manner, carrying her own gear and doing it at a regular pace, so doing a speed hike is a different challenge. Some people are driven to push themselves like this but that doesn't mean it should be criticized in such a judgmental manner by people who don't agree with her. Hike Your Own Hike! See you on the trail!
What an inspiration! I'm encouraged to press forward through the pain of an old back injury and become the person I used to be and still am deep down. "There's something very powerful and very healing about physical forward motion." So simple and yet so wise.
I so muck admire people like Jennifer who make adventure so much a part of life.I'm reducing my personal debt so that I can live with more freedom before it's too late.
National Geographic Channel... is the ONLY one that could do THIS ! Mankind and worthy knowledge... still need NGC to become better and updated. Main difference between "freelancers" of "weird" and NGC, is... NGC is CREDIBLE, HONEST and... TRUE ! We all win... with NGC ! Thank you for your courage and integrity, NGC !
i hiked the AT and all I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you can tell Clockcutter never been on the AT (assisted )so what you try walking 46 miles a day GTFOOH
I don't understand these speed trekkers or hiking at night. The trail is there for you to see and enjoy the wonders of nature. When all you care about is how fast you can go, you miss a lot of beauty, wonder and unique experiences along the way.
Loved the video. Jennifer's stories were fun. But, I was disappointed to see that her trek was assisted like that. If that record is to mean anything, the next thing that will happen is that ultra-distance runners will just start running the entire trial assisted by teams of people, like, e.g., endurance cyclists do in the RAAM. Of course, it may be more efficient to hike rather than run the trail. I tend to think a combination of both would be most efficient. Nevertheless, if you trek the AT like that, what are you doing exactly? Nature just blurs by. It's unimportant. The AT, or the PCT, would just seem to be a tool for bored, alienated, affluent Westerners to learn something about themselves that human beings all over the world know now and have known for millennia. I suppose that's a good thing. But, then again, something about this style of through hiking just seems like it's the symptom of some kind of modern psychological disease.
ClockCutter You can't compare this to RAAM, the record is only 7 days, where here the record is over 10 weeks. Trail runners have been doing this for years and the hike is large enough to accept them all, but they won't just go do it on a whim, it's a huge investment of time and resources for pretty much nothing in return. Look at Scott Jurek, he just got a bit of renewed fame and could barely beat her time. Same for Karl Metzner or Matt Kirk. They do it mostly for themselves as a challenge and to see their limits. Other cultures have their ways of doing just that. I myself trail run every day because I find nature and views beautiful and with speed you just see more of it.
Incredible story thank you. As soon as I heard about the flies and mosquitoes tho I don’t think I could handle it. I get tons of bug bites when there are insects around and then it itches for weeks. lol
Recognizing there are differences from girl to woman - good. Reading numerous comments became incredibly boring, then annoying. I love trail running and walking and cross country bush whacking to places no person has trod in centuries to springs only game touch. Jogging & leaping snow covered trails by moon light is a trip but you must have intimate understanding of the trails. Do your thing.
I guess it would be much easier if you had a support team to carry all of your stuff for you. Makes it much easier than it is for those who have to lug their own provisions on their backs.
Ken Turner She did have a support team and lugging the provision is not necessarily the hard part, because you also have to go and re-supply, which you don't need in a supported (crew) record.
gnonymouse There already is a distinction, it's called supported or self-supported. She did not carry her gear, look at the pics in the video, she had nothing, her crew did it for her. The self-supported record is held by Matt Kirk in a time of 58d9h40m, no car was used and he walked to nearby points to get his food and other stuff. Both records are extreme feats of endurance and logistics, even more for the self-supported I think.
Richard Hachem Cool, thanks for the response, I didn't know that. The self supported style definitely sounds a bit more hardcore, but both are definitely great achievements.
+ATCkeepsUsafe What jerk are you talking about? Anyways, to update on the self supported style, Heather Anderson just crushed Matt Kirk's record by 4 days and also has the self-supported record for the PCT!
After review . being a enthusiast of the likes of such things. yet I have yet to hike the Appalachian Trail. After hearing her story with all do respect it reminds me of the books by Jean M Auel best known for her Earth's Children books or the book and story by Hannah Hurnard and {Hinds feet on high places} I hope day one they make into a movie with the theme music Simple Gifts - Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Krauss
I have trouble with her authenticity at times - she has whined about things - you can't change the weather or the situations on the trail, just yourself. She has also commercialized the thru-hiker with books, videos, talks, That's not what it was about for me - it was personal. This is just my opinion - there are all kinds of people in this world, I still respect her and what she has done to motivate others. And yes I have read her books.
David Levine No, she did it, but it looks like someone else was carrying all her gear. Not true thru hiking in my opinion, but I've never done it so what do I know.
It is one of those things that the records do depend on the level of support I guess. In the UK we have the end to end challenge, which is usually cycled but some have walked it. The speed record on foot is some 9 days and 17 hours, however they would have had support along the way maybe medical, accommodation and so on. The record for solo and self supported is 21 days. So I agree that records such as the one here should have some clarification attached as to say what support if any was included. So 46 and a half days with full support maybe.
Not thru-hiking when she went for the record. Day hiking/trail running between camps. Anish holds the self-supported record. Where she carried all of her own gear, hiked - not hitched - to towns to buy her supplies, etc.That being said both of them have done a heck of a lot more than I ever have or will. What she learned late in her first AT hike, a true thru-hike, is something that is hard for me to remember, I'm out there to enjoy the experience. I can't control the weather or the trail conditions, but I can control my attitude. Once I let go of schedules and goals, I find that not only can I put in 15 to 20 miles per day, I actually start enjoying it. Once I have that shift in attitude, a 15 mile death march up and down mountains in the Sierras becomes 17 miles of astounding views.
I think some people have a narrow view of what she accomplished and if doesn't fit WHAT they feel a hiker is.I think its great myself.I think her Husband is one hell of a guy.
It would be interesting to see her stats on this vid. Nice lady but she lost me at 11:20 when she was whining and talking about how hard it was. I'll try again later.
Judgmental it may be, but the bias in the other direction came first -- if I hike the JMT, catching trout and doing all the things John Muir wrote about as the reason for being out there, it's a big yawn. But... if I set the speed record by running it half in the dark, THEN it's given all sorts of recognition, saying in effect "Now that we can attach a number to it, it's a valid thing to do". Someone wants to do it that way for themselves, fine -- but why does it deserve all the hoopla? Frankly it feels like a hijacking by people who think everything is a competition, and who put down anyone who takes a stand and says, "No, it isn't".
***** still, whether you hike it fast ors low, its your choice.. its a weird thing to dictate to others HOW to enjoy something, dont you agree? "slow down, your not enjoying that ice cream properly, its a much slower process..yes yes, no, wait, too slow, speed up, its not intended for that"...would be the equivalent nonsensical remark
totally lacks understanding of back country traveling or living. Why waste all the time and money to do this level of a production on a stupid speed hike?
who cares millions of people women included could easily set this so called record especially when you dont have to carry your own gear its just walking everyday most people dont have the luxery of being able to do nothing for 3 months also its hardly an adventure for over 1/3 of the AT you can hear lawn mowers - get real
![MV วิถีชีวิตใต้ - ผา อัยย๊ะ [Official MV HD]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nODlkOUu9B0/mqdefault.jpg)
I met Jennifer in 2011 during her record hike and I must say her and her husband were some of the best people I got to meet. I went by Fishhook and me and a couple (Squirrel Nut & Mufasa.) were hiking the Shenandoah's when we met her at a road crossing sky line drive. She talked to us briefly and explained what she was doing so we quickly gave her some space for new socks and shoes and a Gallon of Ice Cream For pure Calories, essentially a pit stop. Her Husband talked with us while she prepped her feet and hands and relaxed for around 15-20 min before she began again. She gave us the Ice Cream she couldn't finish and smiled knowing we would love it, ( and we very much did). I relate to this talk so much I think about it everyday and even more as I sit at my work station. People can judge and say what they will but her accomplishment is incredible by any standards. Thru-hiking is an awe-inspiring achievement but to do it in 46 days, Hats off. So don't hate go give it a try for a week or even a weekend. You may just see a little bit of what its like. Then think that she walked between 40 and 50 miles a day. NUTS!!!
That was awesome!!
I'm so proud of this lady and consider her an inspiration!!!
God bless you and your beautiful family Jennifer!!
A metaphor, her presentation and many things she described in it are helpful to disabled/injured people like myself. I used to hike and mountain bike a lot until my injury. The pain I now experience when walking is extreme. I don't like injury pain, it is different than usual pain. But thanks to the things she talked about I will do it every day with a different perspective.
Hiking the AT or PCT is all about our own personal goals and journey. Its no one's job to say what or what it is not for others.
outrageous accomplishment !! congratulations. time is everything to a walker and an amazing time you had. your better for it too. thanks for sharing loved it KEEP WALKING
Why all the negative comments? She set the speed record -you do that by being assisted and not carrying much of a pack. Let everybody HYOH. Some of us like to go slower and others like to go as fast as possible - they're all unique achievements!
True, hiking isn't exactly a race (not all the time).
L8Hiker "Why all the negative comments? ", That's easy. How else are those who never do shit with their lives, compared to hiking 100 miles or the AT's total length or hike all the AT AND set a new record going to feel equal or superior to such achievers?
It's not like it's an activity. It's just a location where you can do many things. Perhaps go fast.
While I don't care for her presentation style...much prefer Andrew Skurka...I don't get the criticism of what she did. She has already hiked the AT once without a support crew in a traditional manner, carrying her own gear and doing it at a regular pace, so doing a speed hike is a different challenge.
Some people are driven to push themselves like this but that doesn't mean it should be criticized in such a judgmental manner by people who don't agree with her.
Hike Your Own Hike! See you on the trail!
What an inspiration! I'm encouraged to press forward through the pain of an old back injury and become the person I used to be and still am deep down. "There's something very powerful and very healing about physical forward motion." So simple and yet so wise.
I love her. Anybody who has negative comments about her or any thru-hiker has never hiked. If they say they have, they're lying.
I so muck admire people like Jennifer who make adventure so much a part of life.I'm reducing my personal debt so that I can live with more freedom before it's too late.
unbelievible, i hiked the AT 2003 in 123 days and that is already not really slow.this women has all my respect.
National Geographic Channel... is the ONLY one that could do THIS !
Mankind and worthy knowledge... still need NGC to become better and updated.
Main difference between "freelancers" of "weird" and NGC, is... NGC is CREDIBLE, HONEST and... TRUE !
We all win... with NGC !
Thank you for your courage and integrity, NGC !
i hiked the AT and all I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you can tell Clockcutter never been on the AT (assisted )so what you try walking 46 miles a day GTFOOH
Amazing achievement. Inspirational talk.
Wow, inspirational, what an amazing achievement! Loved hearing these stories, thanks Jennifer and National Geographic!
23:14 Boiling Springs, PA!!! My hometown!!!!
Mathew Kennedy Flat and boring
She is amazing!!!💕
Is there a rule that says adventurers must have double barrelled names?
So many of them seem to...
Hike your own hike
I don't understand these speed trekkers or hiking at night. The trail is there for you to see and enjoy the wonders of nature. When all you care about is how fast you can go, you miss a lot of beauty, wonder and unique experiences along the way.
Loved the video. Jennifer's stories were fun. But, I was disappointed to see that her trek was assisted like that. If that record is to mean anything, the next thing that will happen is that ultra-distance runners will just start running the entire trial assisted by teams of people, like, e.g., endurance cyclists do in the RAAM. Of course, it may be more efficient to hike rather than run the trail. I tend to think a combination of both would be most efficient. Nevertheless, if you trek the AT like that, what are you doing exactly? Nature just blurs by. It's unimportant. The AT, or the PCT, would just seem to be a tool for bored, alienated, affluent Westerners to learn something about themselves that human beings all over the world know now and have known for millennia. I suppose that's a good thing. But, then again, something about this style of through hiking just seems like it's the symptom of some kind of modern psychological disease.
ClockCutter You can't compare this to RAAM, the record is only 7 days, where here the record is over 10 weeks. Trail runners have been doing this for years and the hike is large enough to accept them all, but they won't just go do it on a whim, it's a huge investment of time and resources for pretty much nothing in return. Look at Scott Jurek, he just got a bit of renewed fame and could barely beat her time. Same for Karl Metzner or Matt Kirk. They do it mostly for themselves as a challenge and to see their limits. Other cultures have their ways of doing just that. I myself trail run every day because I find nature and views beautiful and with speed you just see more of it.
Try a bike then. Much more speed. I enjoy hiking for the different perspective it gives me versus mountain biking.
Incredible story thank you. As soon as I heard about the flies and mosquitoes tho I don’t think I could handle it. I get tons of bug bites when there are insects around and then it itches for weeks. lol
Very kool Jennifer.
Recognizing there are differences from girl to woman - good. Reading numerous comments became incredibly boring, then annoying. I love trail running and walking and cross country bush whacking to places no person has trod in centuries to springs only game touch. Jogging & leaping snow covered trails by moon light is a trip but you must have intimate understanding of the trails. Do your thing.
Pretty cool !
I guess it would be much easier if you had a support team to carry all of your stuff for you. Makes it much easier than it is for those who have to lug their own provisions on their backs.
Ken Turner i wish i had a support team to carry my stuff
Ken Turner She did have a support team and lugging the provision is not necessarily the hard part, because you also have to go and re-supply, which you don't need in a supported (crew) record.
Where's your backpack?
The only wrong way to hike is on the couch!
I need a girl who loves hiking :(
So hard to find one in colleges
Jasper Chang Man, just go on the trail, it's full of single girls that love hiking!
Did she do it while carrying all her gear or did she have a crew to support her at intervals throughout the whole trail?
gnonymouse
There already is a distinction, it's called supported or self-supported. She did not carry her gear, look at the pics in the video, she had nothing, her crew did it for her. The self-supported record is held by Matt Kirk in a time of 58d9h40m, no car was used and he walked to nearby points to get his food and other stuff. Both records are extreme feats of endurance and logistics, even more for the self-supported I think.
Richard Hachem Cool, thanks for the response, I didn't know that. The self supported style definitely sounds a bit more hardcore, but both are definitely great achievements.
+ATCkeepsUsafe What jerk are you talking about? Anyways, to update on the self supported style, Heather Anderson just crushed Matt Kirk's record by 4 days and also has the self-supported record for the PCT!
I wish I could get N.G.O. to hire a support team to carry my gear and run from road crossing to road crossing to with prepaired meals for me.
Kim C The self-supported record is just 12 more days then her time. It doesn't slow you down that much. She didn't run much, you don't need to.
After review . being a enthusiast of the likes of such things. yet I have yet to hike the Appalachian Trail. After hearing her story with all do respect it reminds me of the books by Jean M Auel best known for her Earth's Children books or the book and story by Hannah Hurnard and {Hinds feet on high places} I hope day one they make into a movie with the theme music Simple Gifts - Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Krauss
I have trouble with her authenticity at times - she has whined about things - you can't change the weather or the situations on the trail, just yourself. She has also commercialized the thru-hiker with books, videos, talks, That's not what it was about for me - it was personal. This is just my opinion - there are all kinds of people in this world, I still respect her and what she has done to motivate others. And yes I have read her books.
Don't be too harsh.... sounds like some judgement here and then hitting the reverse gear with your last two sentences....
David Levine No, she did it, but it looks like someone else was carrying all her gear. Not true thru hiking in my opinion, but I've never done it so what do I know.
gnonymouse She wasn't thru hiking for her record, but she previously did it twice in thru hiking style.
It is one of those things that the records do depend on the level of support I guess. In the UK we have the end to end challenge, which is usually cycled but some have walked it. The speed record on foot is some 9 days and 17 hours, however they would have had support along the way maybe medical, accommodation and so on. The record for solo and self supported is 21 days.
So I agree that records such as the one here should have some clarification attached as to say what support if any was included. So 46 and a half days with full support maybe.
Not thru-hiking when she went for the record. Day hiking/trail running between camps. Anish holds the self-supported record. Where she carried all of her own gear, hiked - not hitched - to towns to buy her supplies, etc.That being said both of them have done a heck of a lot more than I ever have or will. What she learned late in her first AT hike, a true thru-hike, is something that is hard for me to remember, I'm out there to enjoy the experience. I can't control the weather or the trail conditions, but I can control my attitude. Once I let go of schedules and goals, I find that not only can I put in 15 to 20 miles per day, I actually start enjoying it. Once I have that shift in attitude, a 15 mile death march up and down mountains in the Sierras becomes 17 miles of astounding views.
I think some people have a narrow view of what she accomplished and if doesn't fit WHAT they feel a hiker is.I think its great myself.I think her Husband is one hell of a guy.
Wanted go there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wish to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but then watch that snake and change of mind xD
No sleeping bag, no tent and no decent size of backpack?
Wayan Mertha Her record was supported.
It would be interesting to see her stats on this vid. Nice lady but she lost me at 11:20 when she was whining and talking about how hard it was. I'll try again later.
and heres me worrying about doing Adrians Wall in a few weeks...
Hike your own hike,
Nat Geo can I have a job?
I just am not that impressed by supported trips. I would like to see the fastest unsupported completion
So NG moved all of its good content to youtube? Makes sense...
Not to be unkind, but this woman could use a steady diet of Twinkies and whole milk for a couple years. Ice cream and brownies for dessert.
Have a toke, relax.......
I just could not watch more than ten minutes.
who cares: speed hiking is so not what the AT or PCT are about...
Hike YOUR own hike. If speed hiking is not for you, so be it. It's not your place to judge others, nor tell ME what the AT is "about".
Judgmental it may be, but the bias in the other direction came first -- if I hike the JMT, catching trout and doing all the things John Muir wrote about as the reason for being out there, it's a big yawn. But... if I set the speed record by running it half in the dark, THEN it's given all sorts of recognition, saying in effect "Now that we can attach a number to it, it's a valid thing to do". Someone wants to do it that way for themselves, fine -- but why does it deserve all the hoopla? Frankly it feels like a hijacking by people who think everything is a competition, and who put down anyone who takes a stand and says, "No, it isn't".
Max Power hey.she wrote a book about it--why else would you do it
Max Power i dont get people like you.. who cares what someone else thinks its all about? who gave you the rule book? where did you get it? just dumb
***** still, whether you hike it fast ors low, its your choice.. its a weird thing to dictate to others HOW to enjoy something, dont you agree?
"slow down, your not enjoying that ice cream properly, its a much slower process..yes yes, no, wait, too slow, speed up, its not intended for that"...would be the equivalent nonsensical remark
I will never buy a Volvo
totally lacks understanding of back country traveling or living. Why waste all the time and money to do this level of a production on a stupid speed hike?
nothermark really,who would even read a book on speed hiking the appy trail-kinda like seeing the smithsonian in 30 minutes
iceaxe56 Which Smithsonian?
who cares millions of people women included could easily set this so called record especially when you dont have to carry your own gear its just walking everyday most people dont have the luxery of being able to do nothing for 3 months also its hardly an adventure for over 1/3 of the AT you can hear lawn mowers - get real
yawn, arrogant.