Edmonds endurance hiker went off trail to train for record-setting hike

When Heather “Anish” Anderson was preparing for a record-setting attempt on the Appalachian Trail, the Cascades were a ready-made training ground.

Not the trails, though. They were too easy.

To prepare for the rugged Appalachian Trail, Anderson, who lives in Edmonds, climbed many of the highest peaks in Washington.

Her work paid off. In September, Anderson finished the A.T. in 54 days, 7 hours and 48 minutes. That’s 2,189 extremely rugged miles, on foot, in less than two months. It’s also four days faster than the previous record, which was set in 2013.

Anderson will speak about her trip with a slideshow presentation at 7 p.m. Dec. 2 at The Mountaineers Seattle Program Center.

Anderson’s record is the fastest known time for an unsupported hike. In addition to her miles on the trail, she also hiked to towns to pick up her resupplies of food, which she mailed to herself. (Scott Jurek, a well-known long-distance runner, made news this year for setting the record for the fastest supported trip on the Appalachian Trail.)

This is Anderson’s second big record. In 2013, she set the fastest known time on the Pacific Crest Trail, hiking 2,660-plus miles in 60 days, 17 hours and 12 minutes. She’s the first person to hold the fastest known time for both the Pacific Crest and Appalachian trails. She has also hiked the Continental Divide Trail, large sections of the Pacific Northwest Trail and many others.

Anderson had been planning to try for a fastest known time on the Appalachian Trail for a couple years. This was the year the pieces fell into place. She’d hiked the Appalachian Trail once before, in 2003. It was her first big backpacking trip. She wanted to see what it would be like to return to the site of her first big hike. And after setting a record on the Pacific Crest Trail, she wanted to test herself again.

“I had this question in my mind about whether I could do that again,” she said. “I wasn’t sure if the first time was a fluke or something. And also wanting to know what it would be like to do the A.T. in a fast fashion or in an efficient fashion. … The trail wasn’t really that different. The trail was still the trail, but I had a lot more experience coping with the things that come up. And it was interesting to reminisce on things that had happened the last time I was there.”

With her experience already hiking the A.T. once, she knew the terrain. The trail was designed for hikers — and that’s it. While other trails might be graded for horses or mountain bikes, the Appalachian Trail has no such niceties. It’s rooty and rocky and rough. The AT is 500 miles shorter than the PCT, but its cumulative elevation gain is 200,000 feet more than that of the PCT.

While her life is basically one big training for outdoor adventures, Anderson focused on climbing peaks throughout the Cascades before she tried for the A.T. record.

She has set a goal to complete the Bulger list, the 100 highest peaks in Washington. It’s a huge goal. She’s made impressive progress. In 2015, before heading out to the A.T., she climbed 22 peaks.

Since she returned from her trip, she’s climbed three more. Overall, she’s summited 52 of the peaks, including Mount Rainier.

A few years ago, she climbed Glacier Peak, the highest point in Snohomish County.

“It’s one of my favorite vistas I’ve been to in the North Cascades. You can just see so much from up there,” she said.

Now that it’s winter, it’s Anderson’s off season. She said she runs a lot in the winter and has been enjoying exploring some of the smaller peaks along I-90, such as Mount Teneriffe and Mailbox Peak. Mailbox Peak is infamous among Washington hikers for being challenging. It has two routes to the top: an older, rougher trail and a new trail that’s a gentler grade. Anderson said the old Mailbox route is probably the closest thing to the difficulty of the Appalachian Trail in our area.

Anderson is also spending time on her personal training business. She’s been working as a personal trainer since June. It’s a career she’s uniquely qualified for. She got her certification so she could help others achieve their goals, as well.

“I do my coaching online, so I have people all over the country and in Canada,” she said. “Most of them are looking to do long-distance backpacking trips and increase their endurance for that.”

By coaching online, she has flexibility to spend as much time as she can outdoors. And while her A.T. trek was grueling, there were also bits of magic.

One of her favorite moments came on one of the last few nights on the Appalachian Trail.

“I had hiked until really late and I had set up my tent,” she said. “I was sitting in my tent eating dinner and there were owls in every direction, hooting and screeching. It was like being in an owl symphony. I kind of didn’t want to go to bed. I just wanted to lie there and listen to them. But I was very, very tired.”

If you go

Heather Anderson will speak at 7 p.m. on Dec. 2 at The Mountaineers Seattle Program Center, 7700 Sand Point Way, Seattle. Anderson will present a slide show, talk about her trip, discuss the gear she used and answer questions. After her presentation, a National Geographic film about the Appalachian Trail will be shown.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $9 for Mountaineers members, $11 for non-members; $5 for 18 and under. Get more information and buy tickets. Last time Anderson spoke at The Mountaineers, the event sold out, so buying tickets in advance is recommended.

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