Get Out of the Cubicle

Friday, January 22, 2010

Hiking’s Triple Crown

There are few people in life who I believe deserve idol status. Perhaps Einstein, Mandela, the creator of Saved by the Bell and a thin slew of others may qualify. And while few exist, many come quite close, deserving our admiration or at the very least our awe and amazement. One such close -comer dwells in the realm of ultra long-distance hiking. His name: Brian Robinson, or to people who have seen him on the trail, Flyin’ Brian.

For those unfamiliar with the long distance hiking world in the US, there exist three main routes in the lower 48, appearing as arteries that trisect the country in to four sections. The Appalachian Trail is perhaps the most familiar to us east coasters. This 2,183 mile footpath provides a continuous connection from northern Georgia all the way to Maine’s highest peak Mt. Katahdin. A lesser known, but equally formidable trail, known as the Pacific Crest Trail (2,650 miles) traverses the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Ranges in the west, and runs from the US-Mexico border outside of Campo, CA all the way to the US - Canada border in northern, WA. The behemoth of the three trails is the Continental Divide Trail. The 3,120 mile CDT is the trail of all trails. It spans from Mexico to Canada along the spine of the Rocky Mountains, providing the most desolate and demanding terrain amongst the three

Together, these three mega-trails comprise what is known as hiking’s Triple Crown. Few have hiked all three. To complete just one of these feats in a year is an accomplishment in itself. Usually a six month undertaking, attempts at any of the three requires both advanced planning and physical training. Combined, roughly 400 people complete a thru-hike of ONE of these trails in any given year. Some people complete all three over the course of several years.  No one has ever completed two of the trails in a year…except for one person, Flyin’ Brian. And not only did he complete two, he completed all three…7,371 miles in 300 days.

Brian Robinson, a computer programmer from CA, is a mathematician at heart. To him, the thought of thru-hiking these three trails was certainly a challenge, but more simply an equation; an equation solvable with the appropriate calculations. Years in advance, Brian calculated to the mile and calorie his every step and food intake/calorie output. One year prior, Brian was running 50 miles a week. In the three months leading up to his first step on the AT on New Year’s Day of 2001, Brian was running 90 miles a day. Consuming and burning 6000 calories a day and often walking 30+ miles a day would be Brian’s future for the next 300 days.  On October 27th, 2001, Brian walked his last step on the Triple Crown as he crested the summit of the AT northern terminus at Mt. Katahdin, the 7,371 mile journey under his belt and the all-time record in tow.

In my opinion, what separates Flyin’ Brian from many other athletes is the fact that not only did he set a record, he absolutely shattered it. At the time of Robinson’s triple crown, no other person had ever completed two thru-hike’s in a year. In one attempt, Brian tripled the mileage record in just 75% more time. As a hiker myself, I am truly astounded and in awe at what Flyin’ Brian proved the body and mind are capable of. Since this monumental feat, Brian has completed countless ultra marathons and holds records across the nation in various races. His story is truly remarkable, but likely one of many… I’m confident there are others out there like him in other areas of sport.

If you’re interested in more about Flyin’ Brian Robinson story, check this out.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/29/us/for-a-speed-hiker-three-trails-end-in-maine-and-a-record.html?pagewanted=1