Hear Pacific Crest Trail record holder tell her story

This summer, Heather Anderson hiked from Mexico to Canada. No matter how you look at it, that’s an impressive achievement.

Anderson, however, did it in 60 days, 17 hours and 12 minutes, the fastest known time for an unsupported hiker on the Pacific Crest Trail. She hiked an average of 44 miles a day.

The Pacific Crest Trail is a 2,650-mile (give or take, the exact mileage varies each year) trail that stretches through California, Oregon and Washington.

Anderson, a Bellingham resident, will speak about her adventure Thursday, Jan. 9, in Bellevue. The event, sponsored by the Foothills branch of the Mountaineers, is a fundraiser for the Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue team and TRACKS Outdoor Youth Program in Bellevue. The helicopter team is in a rough financial spot after it lost a major source of funding last year. Anderson selected the team as one of the groups to receive help from the fundraiser.

Steve LeBrun, chairman of the Foothills branch, organized the event. He invited Anderson to speak because he was impressed by her journey.

“I think it’s an inspiring story when you look at her life history and how she got to this place,” LeBrun said. “I think all people need to seek out challenges of some sort and test themselves and accomplish their dreams.”

Anderson wasn’t always the athletic type. One summer, she worked near the Grand Canyon. Her roommates invited her on a hike. They hiked nearly to the bottom of the canyon and back in scorching heat. She was inactive and overweight. She felt like she was going to die.

“A few days later, after I was over the trauma, I thought, ‘That was cool. I want to do it again,’” she said. And she did. By the end of the summer she had done more hiking than any of her friends.

She took up running and going to the gym. She dreamed of hiking the Appalachian Trail. The day after she graduated from college in 2003, she started the trail, and finished it.

She said the trip changed her perspective on life. She met so many people who told her, “you’re so lucky that you’re doing this now while you’re young.” So she’s organized her life to make her hiking possible. She works jobs where she can quit or take chunks of time off. She saves money when she’s working to support her while she’s out enjoying the outdoors.

She previously hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2005. That time, she had a hiking companion for the trip. This time, she did it by herself, except for occasionally when a hiker would join her for part of a day. Hikers didn’t keep up with her for long, though.

Most people aren’t willing to get up every day at 5 a.m. and hike well into the dark. She usually made camp about 11 p.m. The trail took its physical and mental tolls. As first, the challenges were mostly physical, as her body adjusted to the work and the heat of Southern California.

By the time she reached Washington, the challenges were more mental. Keeping going every day while you’re tired and hurting isn’t easy. One day, due to a problem with a resupply box, she ended up hiking 53 miles to Snoqualmie Pass. She got there to discover her boyfriend waiting to surprise her. She was thrilled to see him, but then had to get up and walk away from him the very next morning. She said that was her emotional low of the whole trip. She hiked 32 miles that day, the shortest of any day on her trip.

She kept going the next day, though, and finished with her record pace.

“The best part of the trip was pushing my limits and seeing myself be able to respond to it and discovering I was stronger and more capable than I thought,” she said.

Now she’s settled back into normal life. Or maybe not what some would call normal. She’s still pushing her limits. In January, she will run the Hawaiian Ultra Running Team 100-mile ultra-marathon, known as HURT.

If you go

Heather Anderson will speak at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, at the Highland Center in Bellevue. Tickets are $10. Get more info and a link to buy tickets online at www.mountaineers.org.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Everett P. Fog, 15, in front of an Everett mural along Colby Avenue on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Hello, Everett! No escape when your name is same as the town

Everett P. Fog, 15, sees and hears his first name wherever he goes. His middle name is also epic.

Jared Meads takes a breath after dunking in an ice bath in his back yard while his son Fallen, 5, reads off the water temperature on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Chill out: Dive into the cold plunge craze

Plungers say they get mental clarity and relief for ails in icy water in tubs, troughs and clubs.

Schack exhibit to highlight Camano Island watercolorists

“Four Decades of Friendship: John Ebner & John Ringen” will be on display Jan. 16 through Feb. 9.

XRT Trim Adds Rugged Features Designed For Light Off-Roading
Hyundai Introduces Smarter, More Capable Tucson Compact SUV For 2025

Innovative New Convenience And Safety Features Add Value

Sequoia photo provided by Toyota USA Newsroom
If Big Is Better, 2024 Toyota Sequoia Is Best

4WD Pro Hybrid With 3-Rows Elevates Full-Size

2025 Toyota Land Cruiser (Provided by Toyota).
2025 Toyota Land Cruiser revives its roots

After a 3-year hiatus, the go-anywhere SUV returns with a more adventurous vibe.

Enjoy the wilderness in the CX-50. Photo provided by Mazda USA Newsroom
2025 Mazda CX-50 Adds Hybrid Capability to Turbo Options

Line-Up Receives More Robust List Of Standard Equipment

Practical And Functional bZ4X basks in sunshine. Photo provided by Toyota Newsroom.
2024 bZ4X Puts Toyota Twist On All-Electric SUV’s

Modern Styling, Tech & All-Wheel Drive Highlight

Photo provided by Mazda USA Newsroom
2025 Mazda3 Turbo Premium Plus Hatch Delivers Value

Plus Functionality of AWD And G-Vectoring

2025 Mazda CX-90 Turbo SUV (Provided by Mazda)
2025 CX-90 Turbo models get Mazda’s most powerful engine

Mazda’s largest-ever SUV is equipped to handle the weight, with fuel efficiency kept in check.

Provided by Bridges Pets, Gifts, & Water Gardens.
Discover where to find the best pet supplies in town

Need the perfect store to spoil your furry friends? Herald readers have you covered.

VW Jetta SEL is a sedan that passes for a coupe. Photo provided by Volkswagen U.S. Media.
2025 VW Jetta Offers Greater Refinement, Technology And Value

A Perfect Choice For Small Families And Commuters

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.