New JMT Speed Record

[Trace Richardson]

High five for the dude that does back to back JMT hikes with the fastest known time and slowest known time and doesn't tell a soul. :)

[Nathan Watts]

What's this obsession people have about "not telling anyone" all about?

Why does that make something better. I for one am glad that people share their experiences with others. Should we not have books or recorded history? Seems to me that sharing our experiences with others is more beneficial to society than not.

[Mike M]

believe me, if I happened to set a FKT (not likely in this lifetime), it wouldn't be a secret :)

[Ken Thompson]

It's called personal satisfaction. Modesty too plays a part.

[Paul Magnanti]

THat's it..I am no longer going to share photos, trip reports or outdoor advice. That includes my family and my friends.

Seems more "pure" to keep it to myself. :D

Going to get rid of any outdoor books for similar reasons, too.

[Jerry Adams]

better include your website : )

[Nick Gatel]

"I am no longer going to share photos, trip reports…"

well, that might keep your favorite trails from becoming over-crowded. :)

[Paul Magnanti]

Well played Nick. Well played. :)

[Eugene Smith]

Matt Kirk, who used to post infrequently here at BPL , just established a new unsupported AT finish time of 58 days 9hrs 40mins.

[Mike M]

I just shattered the JMT record last night, but I'm not telling a soul (I did a bunch other super cool things, but again I can't tell anyone)

[Marko Botsaris]

"High five for the dude that does back to back JMT hikes with the fastest known time and slowest known time and doesn't tell a soul. :)"

I've been wondering about the "slowest known" time rules, as it seems the only one I might be qualified to break. I assume we would have to lay down some rules otherwise you could do the fastest known hike but then just refuse to leave Mt. Whitney. You could probably just beg food from all the people up there leaving the trail, at least until the first big fall snow. Especially if you started a website, a video blog, told everyone, and generally made a big deal about it.

So what rules would these be? It seem like one possibility would be the longest time totally unsupported and without resupply, but where you did in fact physically make it from beginning to end. More survivor than adventure race. You could get plenty of protein from fish. Carbs and fat might be an issue as even if you carried a pack full of peanut butter you would probably run out far before you set the record. What you would take on such a trek would be totally interesting with the longest time being the main goal.

[Jake D]

Tipi walter will crush your slowest time… you wouldn't have a chance.

[Danny D]

"People find beauty in myriad ways. I think there's a certain beauty in pushing oneself to, and past, limits – both in the agony and anguish of failing to complete such an attempt (but not a failure to begin it….), and in the elation and meaningfulness of completing such an (inward and outward) journey. Spirit, endurance, will – beauty in it all.

It's too bad people think that you can only find/should only look for external beauty, there's lots of beauty inside each of us as well.

And yes, I even think some would find beauty in the fastest performance of Beethoven's 9th if done well – the technical prowess and ability to complete such a thing would be wonderful to some.

We all find beauty in different ways. It always makes me sigh a bit when we seemingly can't resist having to piss on someone else's parade because they see the world differently than we do. Tis a shame we can't simply appreciate the effort, even if we don't completely understand it or wouldn't be interested in doing it ourselves."

+1 … well said.

[jscott]

I'm sorry but you're missing the point of Beethoven's music when you write what you did. Look, to take another example, you *could* read one of Shakespeare's sonnets just like one of those disclaimers that come at the end of some radio commercials–fast fast fast–but then you've turned the sonnet into a freak show. You wouldn't understand anything about the poetry at all. You might as well be reading Mad Magazine. Your end is about speed, which you might attain, but you ruin the work.

That said I do very much admire these athletes. I could never do what they've done. Frankly it's not something that I'd want to do either, but still it's a true accomplishment. And I'm sure that they were able to soak up some beauty on the way as well. But I suppose like a marathon runner, the point isn't to take in the views, but achieve the record. And in this case, have a beautiful track to run a race on.

[Jake D]

I think Beethoven is a bad example.. a better comparison might be Big Band music or Flight of the Bumblebee type stuff that still sounds good while being played very quickly. Some people may only be able to play the songs slowly.. say 1:8 time… but when you kick it up full notch to 1:64+ there is serious concentration, endurance, nimbleness that true masters can achieve.

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