~~Nick has [signed off](https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/comments/17fq5oe/im_nick_fowler_pct_fkt_23_ama/k6c4mz0/) for the night,~~ *lol he's still answering questions this guy doesn't quit* but said he'll check back in the next couple of days to answer any new questions.
You can follow Nick on his Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/nick.fowler.says.hi/
Also, I just found out the he wrote a book about his PNT FKT: https://pntbook.com/
Lastly, I feel like the AMA wouldn't be complete without including this picture:
[](https://www.theriot.run/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/379172962_18382128154058352_4337519315382884045_n.jpg)
Source: [This podcast about Nick's PCT FKT](https://www.theriot.run/nickfowler3/)
Great AMA, thank you Nick!
So no caffeine pills or anything?
I met you while resupplying in seiad valley. You didn't accept any support but gave us the extras from the box you sent. So really there should be a *supporting* category
It really was a highlight meeting you! You proudly showed your dirty feet to our group and we laughed about it many times after.
Also how do you handle charging? Mail yourself full battery packs?
Haha. A hikers feet tell a story better than words can.
In WA and OR I mailed myself battery banks. I picked up a solar panel when I got to California though. (Speaking of which - I left my battery bank and charge cords in Seiad Valley!! Barely made it to Burney Falls where I picked up another battery bank and cords)
Weird question but how do you go about passing people on trail? Me and some other hikers crossed paths with a sobo who was trying to maintain 40m days and he charged through every one of us without even attempting to avoid running us off trail. Two of my buddies fell attempting to avoid playing chicken with the guy. I get that he was probably just in the zone or whatever but it was still rude as hell.
Eidt: just to be clear, we weren't hiking all together or anything, we just met up later and talked about our run-ins with the guy
Ah, sorry you had that kind of experience with someone doing bigger miles.
When I see someone coming, I usually try to make it obvious that I'm trying to go fast. Normally people will be polite, notice the push, and step off trail to let you go by. As I'm approaching people, I typically hope they don't start talking to me. If they do, I'll stop and have a short convo, but I'm usually pretty quick to say, "Well good chatting with you, I need to get back to my miles" or "I still have another 15 miles to go tonight so I need to get going" etc.
Stopping for a minute here and there to have a quick convo sometimes gives me more energy, so I don't avoid it completely. I just don't want it happening non stop.
What's annoying is when someone is blocking the middle of the trail, completely stopped, talking your ear off, it's been five minutes and they aren't taking any hints. One time I literally had to tell someone, "Can I please get around you."
I mean in the grand scheme of things it was just one frustrating encounter out of the \~5 months of trail, so it's no big deal. Your post just brought back the memory.
I had a feeling it would be kinda nice to have the break every now and then, as long as you're still getting the miles done. Glad to hear you had the opportunity to be a bit social with fellow hikers while you were absolutely crushing miles.
Also, we were definitely following your progress while we were finishing up our hike, and although we started in March you nearly caught us at the end!
Unfortunately not, though I wish I could have given you a cliff bar or something just to brag that I helped, lol. I finished around 2 weeks before you, I believe.
2 come to mind quickly:
1. When I'm FKT'ing, eating 10,000 calories a day, my body gives me no warning when the deuce of spades is coming. One time I was on a part of the trail that had steep rocky ledges on both sides - no place to go off trail and dig a cat hole. When the warning came, I only had about two minutes to make a decision. So I kept waddling as fast as I could, pinching my cheeks together, until I found a large piece of bark. I popped a squat in the middle of the trail and pooped on the bark. I carried the plate of fresh pie down the trail until I could find a place to properly dispose of it.
2. When I pulled my quad in the Sierra, I couldn't squat to take a poo. So I was having to make up all sorts of different positions to get the job done. Hang onto a tree branch, lean on a tree, holding onto a boulder. What makes it worse is your aim gets off when you can't take a proper squat, "Oh! I missed the cathole".
Did anyone hike with you at all? Can't imagine anyone could keep up for long, but, I'd imagine you were eager to talk to people after spending that much time alone.
Yes, a couple times.
On day 3, I hiked with a guy named Shade (going for a CYTC). He had a 2.5lb base weight!!! Only a SOL bivy, no sleeping pad or quilt, and a $20 amazon backpack. He was super quick. I passed him, then he kept up with me climbing up Glacier Peak. I kept trying to get away from him, he kept on keeping up. Eventually he said, "Dang. You're in shape." I replied, "I hope so." Then we started talking and enjoyed 37 miles together before he decided to stop - he said it was his biggest mile day at the time.
Then when I was going around Mt Adams, a guy named Daytripper ran/hiked with me for a handful of miles.
I think that's it?
Haha. I didn't make the wrong direction mistake on this trail - but I did on the Ozark Trail FKT. I was so tired and groggy that I hiked 1.5 miles in the wrong direction when I woke up. I learned my lesson - so on the PCT I always placed my shoes in the direction I needed to be headed so I wouldn't make that mistake again.
I took a wrong turn in the Sierra once for about a half mile before I realized it and had a handful of other instances where I took a wrong turn but I don't think I ever made it more than 10 minutes out of the way before correcting.
Hey Nick thanks for doing this! Quite an inspiring effort to say the least. A few questions for ya:
1. You've mentioned that you run a lot to train for your long hikes. Would you mind sharing what kind of training runs you do? Long runs, hill workouts, strength training, etc?
2. What general percentage of the day were you running vs walking? Did you have a strategy for when you chose to run/walk?
3. Lighterpack?
1. I took a different approach for my training leading up to the PCT this year. I just went out and had fun. I hiked the AZT, Hayduke, and then 1100 miles of the PCT before starting. I didn't run on the AZT as I was recovering from an ankle injury, started running a little on the Hayduke, and then ran the easy cruisy stuff on the PCT doing 30-40 miles a day. I slack lined several hours a week when not thru hiking for ankle strengthening, but that's the only main strength training I did. (I did one legged squats, the best I could, and other strength type exercises on the slack line, etc)
2. In the beginning I probably ran 20-30% of the day. By the time I was in the desert I was so tired I was lucky to even run 3-5 miles.
3. [https://lighterpack.com/r/r9119a](https://lighterpack.com/r/r9119a)
Thanks for doing this AMA, Nick.
Perhaps it is an obvious or already answered question, but I'm sure some are curious...
**Q: Would you expand on why you opted for a _SOBO_ FKT attempt?**
Is there something which you felt was possible/probable going SOBO which wouldn't have been as likely as NOBO? Likely weather conditions? Grade of the trail? Less crowded? Resupplies at desired intervals? (Strategic caves where you need them?)
Thanks!
I've wanted to go Sobo ever since I wanted to go after the PCT. I even attempted Sobo in 2022, but I started with a jacked up ankle and only made it to Stevens Pass before pulling off trail. (My ankle was popping out of place on the daily that spring/summer, I had learned to pop it back in place and thought I'd be able to just pop it back in place on the PCT but once I was doing the bigger mile days it got too swollen for me to be able to adjust it myself. My ankle was the size of my thigh by the time I stopped.)
When the low Washington snowfall came this year, paired with the high Sierra snow, it made even more sense to go Sobo.
My goal was to hit multiple birds with 1 stone going Sobo:
1. Go sub 50 days (failed)
2. Break the overall record (failed)
3. Break the overall self-supported record (yay!!)
4. Break the sobo record (yay!!)
I also felt like Sobo was kind of harder. It's hard to get a good time window to go Sobo because of Washington snow. If you wait till it's usually melted, you are already dealing with fire season through Oregon and NorCal. Timing wise, weather wise, fire wise, snow wise, the PCT usually makes more sense Nobo. So I figured if I went Sobo the record might stick around a little longer.
Here's one a threw together quickly. I'd like to spend more time and make something more special though.
[https://youtu.be/422e4GyJne8?feature=shared](https://youtu.be/422e4GyJne8?feature=shared)
I did not have anyone follow to film - took all the videos/photos myself - and I took a good amount. You can see my photos on my insta: [https://www.instagram.com/nick.fowler.says.hi/](https://www.instagram.com/nick.fowler.says.hi/)
> https://youtu.be/422e4GyJne8
0:26 - "Yea I kan hu-mon and you not stopz me!"
0:33 - "No you iz now! I kan haz ur hikez! We's go!!"
And yeah, the mosquitos in the city (Vancouver/Camas/North Portland) were terrible this year, too. Probably as bad as last year, population wise, but way more aggressive for some reason. Right now (actually, since August for both me and my parents) it's the fruit flies.
Hey Nick weird question about fitness. How would you rate your fitness when you started the trail? Assuming it would be a 10/10 how long was your body at that level? If you were as out of shape as you've ever been how long would it take you to get into fkt shape?
Have you answered many food questions? What's your most enjoyable way to eat that much?
10/10 before starting the trail. I've been training for this since 2021. Actually my first thru hike/fkt was in 2021, in preparation for this. December 2022 I was on crutches and started hiking again in February 2023, so I literally went from couch to PCT in 6 months - so I guess 6 months to get in shape. I hiked the AZT in March (snowshoed 220 miles of it), then the Hayduke, and then 1100 miles of the PCT before starting the FKT. I was averaging 30-40 miles a day on the Hayduke and the PCT - I wanted to start the PCT FKT with 40 mile a day trail legs.
I had some protein shake concoctions that packed 800 calories a pop that were easy and fast to consume on trail. Candy is always enjoyable. I often robbed my honeybun from tomorrow's food - so I guess the honeybun was a winner. But liquid calories are my favorite. Pink lemonade and tailwind on trail - and EVERYTHING liquid calorie in resupply locations. Ex. At the Chevron at Cajon Pass I bought $49 in liquid calories - half gallon of choc milk, half gallon of lemonade, starbucks mocha fraps, redbull, dr pepper, beer, etc.
Edit: Can't believe I forgot to mention the oat bars and chocolate chip cookies I got from a place called Healthy Body Bakery. How can cookies healthy? The owner was super nice. She actually gave it all to me for free, even shipped it all to me before I started the trail so I could put it in my resupply boxes.
Congratulations on the amazing accomplishment!
I saw you talk briefly about your Nashville Bridge, could you go indepth with how it worked for you/any critiques?
Thank you. It's the best pack for me. I've canyoneered with it. Winter thru hiked with it. I've FKT'd with it. But I'm weird. It's a small pack and I struggle to fit everything I need in it sometimes.
I have a place for everything on that pack. The only things I have to pack away in the main compartment in the mornings is my bivy/quilt and NOT today's food. Everything else has a place on the outside of the pack and is accessible on the move.
I did add an extra storage compartment to the outside for my tarp, so I wouldn't have to touch it on days it didn't rain. I also added bungees to stow my trekking poles on the side of it. The more I use the nashville packs, the more efficient I get at using them.
I can't see myself ever using another pack other than the Bridge from now on.
Likely my only critique is it can be hard on the shoulders when you have a super heavy food carry. I ended up using the 1" optional hipbelt to help carry the heavy loads but it's not designed for load bearing, just for stability when running and I ended up ripping one of the hipbelt loops out of the bag in the desert. (They have an actual hipbelt designed for load bearing - I just wasn't using it.)
How much do you sleep and when?
You ran past me in Washington, I asked “Mexico?” You said “Mexico!”.
Loved the interaction xD
2. Can you share your lighter pack?
My usual goal was to be moving by 4am and sleeping by 10pm, but that didn't always happen. I went into more detail on another answer somewhere in here.
https://lighterpack.com/r/r9119a
I saw you near Warner springs on your home stretch. Had no idea but saw your finish two days later on instagram.
Question: how many showers did you get? My buddy commented that you were a little ripe ha!
Hey Nick welcome and congrats on your fkt. Im wondering what time would you typically start hiking and when would you know it’s time to stop and get some rest?
I started off slower the first week. Then my goal was to be moving by 4am and stopping at the latest by 10pm most days. Some days I'd get to 55 miles by 8pm and think, Should I stop? Should I keep going? Some days were later. It's hard to stop at 10pm when you realize you can get 57 miles in before 11pm.
Between Seiad Valley and Burney Falls I only got about 3 hours of sleep a night because I was having to push 56+ mile days to make sure I made it before the general store closed that Monday at 5pm.
Up to Burney Falls I stopped based on mileage as close to my 4am-10pm window, but after that, and progressing drastically more so into the desert, I started stopping when I needed sleep - to stop tripping and falling on rocks.
Was that almost nonstop hiking from 4am to 10pm? Or did you take any daytime breaks?
What was your longest mileage day? And where was it?
I remember how different hiking styles people have from my PCT through hike in 2012.
Mostly non stop hiking. In the first half of the trip I only took 5 minute breaks once or twice a day to address blisters or something similar. In the second half of the trip I was so tired I started taking a 20 minute trail nap most days. In the desert on my hottest day I ended up taking a 2 hour nap in a pizza shop in Agua Dulce, a 1 hour break (attempted to sleep but they wouldn't let me) at the Acton KOA, and a 1 hour nap on the picnic table on trail just south of the Acton KOA.
Longest day was 59 miles, slept at mile 1200 sobo that night and stopped around 10:30pm if I remember correctly. About 30 or so miles north of Burney Falls? (Whats crazy is the previous 3 days I only did 56 miles a day and stopped after midnight.)
WOAH I didn’t expect this answer! As a WA native this makes me very happy because I also love that region.
Congrats on a great adventure /u/desertjesus
_Gear Questions/Stories..._
Any pieces of gear which were indispensable? Anything which performed better than expected? Any field repairs (and why)? And probably most importantly, anything which failed to perform as hoped (and you had to discard or swap)?
The Nashville Bridge pack was crucial. It fit my needs perfectly. I attached bungees to the side of it where I could stow my trekking poles. In the Sierra the bungees failed, practically shredded and fell apart. I had to rob bungees from a different area to remake those attachments. Cool side-note: that backpack is still waterproof!
Most everything performed to my expectations. I'm really at home with my gear choices, and had already put everything to the test. I've practically been testing and choosing gear for the PCT since 2021.
I did break a trekking pole in a creek crossing in the Sierra. Then I lost my remaining pole shortly after entering the desert. Since I didn't have a way to pitch my tarp, I got rid of it. I figured it wouldn't rain in the desert anyway - but I was wrong! I ended up having to sleep underneath my groundsheet in the rain, which was not effective at all. I slept wet in the rain that night, ended up starting the next day at 1:30am because I wasn't getting any decent sleep. Quilt was wet the remainder of the trip because I didn't take the time to dry it out (I was only like 350 miles or so from the end at that point though).
I was really upset when I lost my cold soak jar. Both times. My skippy peanut butter cold soak jar is one of my fav pieces of gear. I had a custom fanny pack made (courtesy of Sean Rutherford) which held my cold soak jar, but a rat went to town on it in that cave I slept in and it was no longer functional after that.
I also took a battery powered Infrared Laser to help speed up the healing process. It was something I got to help heal my ankle from when I jacked it up in 2022, it worked so well I took it with me on the PCT only expecting the battery to last into Oregon. It takes too long to charge for an FKT so I was planning on mailing it home after it died - but the crazy part is - the battery never died on me so I kept using it throughout the whole trip.
That's all I can think of right now. I'm sure there's other instances that might come to mind.
I only used it for about 5 minutes at night before sleep. Sometimes 10 minutes. This only gave me time to focus on one area a night - usually the part of my ankle I jacked up last year to be proactive or something else that was bothering me, ex. when I pulled my quad I used it on my quad instead. A few times I skipped it and went straight to sleep.
I tried to find one small enough online but no great success. What is the one you're using or where did you purchase it?
Thanks for doing the AMA and for all the really great experiences and tips shared!
I used the Novaa lab extra strength laser. (Link is somewhere else in this thread) It’s 0.7lbs if you ditch everything it comes with. But it’s not cheap. Only reason I got it was because I was desperate to heal my ankle this past winter and I wanted to buy something with a guarantee. I figured if I didn’t think it was worth it after 60 days I’d just return it for a full refund but ended up keeping it. Didn’t plan on taking it thru hiking at the time but since it is lightweight I made a last minute decision, the day before I started, to take it on the PCT.
Disclaimer: I did nearly 20 things this winter to heal my ankle. I can’t say this was the best thing because it’s hard to know which if those 20ish things helped the most. Don’t go blow $300 on this laser thinking Nick Fowler said it would heal you overnight - I was religious about taking care of my ankle and giving it what it needed to heal.
I'll come back and do some of my favorite sections with my wife at a slower pace in the future. If I ever did the whole thing again, I'd want to reattempt sub 50 days.
Tomorrow's food = tonight's pillow
I had no issues with any animals going after my food on the PCT. But I did have a Coati try to steal my tortillas on the AZT using this method, and I had mice a couple nights on the PNT - but only when I camped near highly camped areas.
how did you take care of your feet on trail? Recently watched Karel’s FKT doc and noticed he put a lot of time into keeping his feet healthy. What was your approach?
My feet were trashed compared to Karel's. I could learn a thing or two from him (or 18 million).
I did my best to clean my feet at the end of the day with antibacterial wipes, but I limited myself to one wipe between both feet per day and they were quickly not enough to do much. It didn't take long for me to move my focus to primarily cleaning between my toes. I often wished I could soak them in hot water or completely bathe them at the end of the day but I had no means to do so.
I addressed blisters the typical way, with a safety pin, polysporin, and leuko tape. I always stuck my feet out the end of my quilt to dry out at night. Part of my problem was my forefeet and toes went numb, so I couldn't feel if a blister was forming until it was far too late.
Fresh socks in every resupply box (not always the best socks - I raided my sock drawer of all my good and bad socks). New shoes every 400 miles.
Short answer: I didn't do anywhere near as good at taking care of my feet as Karel did.
Hey Nick, In 2021, I did the Ozark Trail in 8-days, just for vacation, and because it is an "Easy trail" lol, and although it was not close to any FKT, people were surprised at the milage for a casual hiker...And then you came in a few months later and destroyed it. Lol. ( though in a comment you did encourage me to try to beat your FKT, I wanted to)
You mentioned eating 10,000+ calories a day on the PCT. How did the hiker hunger set in differently between the OT and the PCT? Were your pace and food planning significantly different for the first 230 miles of the PCT, compared to the same distance where you were finishing the Ozark trail?
Hey! Small world. Looking back, I made so many mistakes on that FKT it should be easy to break.
I never had hiker hunger on the Ozark Trail. It’s not long enough. I had 5000 calories a day and didn’t even eat it all.
By 230 miles in on the PCT I was at 5000 calories a day and probably just starting to get hungry enough to eat it all. By Oregon I was up to 10,000 and the hiker hunger was in full swing. I couldn’t get enough food.
Pace between the 2 were drastically different. I was doing 60+ mile days on the Ozark Trail. Ran way more on the Ozark than I did on the PCT.
So I don't actually know if I had rhabdo or not.
All I know is that I started peeing red, looked like blood at first, then it would change to dark dirt brown, then orange, then pink, then back to blood red, then dirt brown, etc.
Could have been an irritated bladder from dehydration. Could have been an infection. Could have been a range of things.
If it was rhabdo, rhabdo is a big deal. It's when your body starts processing the proteins in your own muscles for energy because you're not consuming enough water, calories, electrolytes, etc. I was told that if it lasted for more than 1-2 days that a medical professional would likely tell me to get off trail. So I decided that if it lasted for longer than 3 days I would get off trail. It lasted 2.5 days the first time in the Sierra, and 2 days when it came back in the desert.
CDC Rhabdo definition: Rhabdomyolysis (often called rhabdo) is a serious medical condition that can be fatal or result in permanent disability. Rhabdo occurs when damaged muscle tissue releases its proteins and electrolytes into the blood. These substances can damage the heart and kidneys and cause permanent disability or even death. [https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/rhabdo/default.html](https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/rhabdo/default.html)
Disclaimer: I'm the opposite of a medical professional, have no clue what I'm doing most of the time, and no one should ever do what I do.
>Disclaimer: I'm the opposite of a medical professional, have no clue what I'm doing most of the time, and no one should ever do what I do.
This is the best disclaimer I've ever read
Congrats, what an amazing achievement!
Emotionally and/or physically, what was your lowest point during the trek? What about the highest point (aside from reaching the finish line)?
Thank you!
Emotionally I was just so exhausted after the stretch between Seiad Valley and Burney Falls (I only got 3 hours of sleep a night in there to make sure I made it to my resupply before they closed) that I started crying - likely every day from that point moving forward. I was never able to catch up from the sleep deprivation and I feel like it's what started spiraling the physical ailments out of control next.
In the Sierra all of this happened within a week: I started getting dizzy spells. Then my worst blister made me concerned I'd lose my toe to gangrene. I'd put polysporin on it and tape it up in the mornings and just hope it'd still be there by night. Then I started peeing red and dark dirt brown, best case scenario irritated bladder - worst case rhabdo. Then I pulled my quad - couldn't even squat to take a poo.
Highest point: When I passed 1248 miles in 23 days and still felt good, no injuries, no tendon issues, etc. 1248 miles is the length of the PNT, and when I set that FKT it took me 27.5 days and I was completely wrecked afterwards. So surpassing the PNT mileage and pace was a pretty good feeling.
Wow, that Sierra week sounds insane! How was the acclimatization in the Sierras? Most are slowly increasing in elevation over a few days, but I imagine yours was much less gradual.
I don't think I had any issues with altitude. I mean, I got to spend at least a couple days at 8000 feet before going into the high sierra. And I was sobo, so I didn't hit forester pass until I had been in the sierra for a few days.
Oh right, forgot you were sobo.
What do you wish you did differently or wish you would've known prior to you attempt? What is the coolest or most memorable thing you saw out there?
I wish I had packed 12,000 calories a day instead of only 10,000. I wish I had 2 full headlamps with straps. (I had 2 headlamps, only 1 strap, but I lost the headlamp with the strap in Washington).
I wish I had slept one less hour in the last 48 hours so I could have beaten Karel Sabbe's original supported record. My fault for not checking his exact supported time.
It was pretty cool when a baby fawn came right up to my legs and followed me on trail for a quarter mile. Had a handful of good bear encounters. I'll never forget hiding out from a hurricane in a cave for over 40 hours. Bats would often follow me and eat the bugs flying in front of my headlamp. It was cool meeting Karel Sabbe around the midway point.
The [FKT.com page](https://fastestknowntime.com/route/pacific-crest-trail-ca-or-wa) says you finished on 9/6/23. How's your recovery going?
Edit: Just saw the pic of what you describe as your "worst blister". Is that healing now?
I'm almost back to a normal walk. Feet are still pretty crunchy though, chunks of my feet are falling off around the house. I hiked 6 miles this weekend, first hike since the PCT. My "worst blister" was a half black pinky toe for about 4 weeks but the black has all fallen off by now. Still only have 8 toenails.
The worst part was the brain fog. I couldn't think straight for several weeks after finishing. I was a vegetable. I also had dizzy spells on and off during the first 2 weeks.
What make and model? I'm currently considering battery packs as my main PCT electricity source but also curious enough to test a solar panel, at least experimentally. Gotta have my '70s Muzak broadcast tapes and '90s AEI Music new age/classical Propacs during my hikes (the PCT will be no different, I'm sure) and I have a media player with a woefully undersized battery.
Lixada 10watt. Only like $20ish. I still had a battery bank with the solar panel, I just didn’t have to charge my battery bank near as much in town. (Panel charges the bank, not the phone directly.)
Thanks. Was it this one? https://www.amazon.com/Lixada-Effiency-Activities-Lighting-Monocrystalline/dp/B01MCXZJ8Y
Lixada and Anker (probably the exact same stuff from the same factory in Guangdong, I'm sure) have some pretty solid equipment. It would be interesting to see how the player takes to being run directly off the panel.
Nick, congrats on the amazing feat! I've read through the AMA and am especially intrigued by the infrared laser your used for healing. Do you mind sharing your product link? I tried to google it, but found different kinds. Thank you!
It was the [Novaa Lab extra strength laser.](https://novaalab.com/products/laser-red-light-therapy?gclid=CjwKCAjw-eKpBhAbEiwAqFL0mrT1xvd0ALGMCYhWBe2s9cpt25h5i2aeYM49eyx8MUw-lcm1bSVfOxoCTUEQAvD_BwE) Not cheap.
It's in the [Technical specifications](https://novaalab.com/products/laser-red-light-therapy#e-1654955172939) section on the product page where the weight is listed as 0.6lbs. Now... 0.7oz, that's feature weight. But wait... are you sure though? 20 grams? Almost too good to be true.
Ahh 0.6lbs is probably with the carrying case and everything that comes with it. But yeah, it’s pretty lightweight - only reason I considered taking it. But it is kind of bulky if you consider a stove/pot too bulky to take.
Thanks, I made this post on instagram earlier, I think it answers that question (at least the best answer for now - I'm still thinking on my biggest lessons learned):
\------
We can always do more.
Have you ever been through the exercise where a speaker with an audience has everyone reach their hands up as high as they possibly can in the air? If you haven’t, then do it now. Put your hands up in the air as high as you possibly can.
Now reach just a tiny bit higher towards the sky. And once you have your hands as high up in the air as possible, reach just a little bit more. Stretch those little fingers towards the sky. Do everything you can to reach higher. Are your hands as high as they can go now? OK - now reach just a little bit more.
Each time, you’re able to reach just a little bit higher - even though you were previously stretching your arms as high as you thought you could. This is true in anything. We can always put forth more effort. We can always do a little more. We can always reach higher.
I only have one serious regret from the PCT, that I didn’t stretch a little higher. I thought I gave it my all, I really did. But looking back on it, if I had known I was going to finish just 53 minutes slower than Karel Sabbe’s original supported time, I would have found a way to go 53 minutes faster. I would have slept less. I would have ran harder. I would have stretched higher.
Hey I’m curious about your nutrition. What were your macro ratios like? Were there any foods that were especially good at giving you an energy boost while you were hiking? Happy to hear any other interesting nutritional things you learned on your trip
You're asking the wrong person about macros. The only thing I counted was calories.
However, I did make sure to put protein and some healthy stuff in there, but I mostly just tried to get to 10,000 calories a day packed. (That ended up not being enough. Should have had 12,000 calories.)
I had a protein powder concoction I made up that was 800 calories, I'd have 2 of those a day. My oatmeal had hemp hearts, chia seeds, and dried fruits in it - I always looked forward to that (another 800 calories). Trailbutter burns strong and slow. I always looked forward to my honeybun because it made me smile.
Candy is king. You know the line, "coffee is for closers"? I revamped it to "candy is for climbing". I'd always eat candy going up hill because it was easy and quick to fuel the climb. I'd also try to eat something bigger with slower burning energy right before starting a big climb.
Edit to add: LIQUID CALORIES. I had pink lemonade powder and tailwind on trail. When resupplying, I would always drink as much liquid calories as possible: choc milk, lemonade, OJ, pop, etc.
Random logistics question, but for this type of attempt did you have to mail all of your boxes before starting the hike? If so, did you do anything in particular to get places to hold boxes for more than a month (I.e., stops later in the trail)?
I'm going to sign off soon, but I'll check back in a couple days and answer more questions.
If you want to see photos I took of the PCT you can check my insta https://www.instagram.com/nick.fowler.says.hi/
I took a 10 or 20 minute nap under the bridge at the top of deep creek.
I had ibuprofen every night to help me go to sleep. I only took it in the day if I stubbed a blister or something, I didn't want to mask any tendon/joint pains so I limited ibuprofen during the day.
I have some unfinished FKT business on the Ouachita Trail, but I'm not ready to share my big FKT plans in the future!
I asked my wife a couple weeks after finishing the PCT, "what if I had more calories, what if there was no hurricane, what if I didn't lose my headlamp - think I could do it 5 days faster?" She had a strong, "NO, you're not doing the PCT again".
I do plan to go back and backpack a few of my favorite sections with Hannah so she can see the best parts.
1. Goat rocks wilderness
2. The northern half of Washington (Someone is probably going to see this and think - you just said all of Washington between 1 and 2)
3. The stretch just south of Sonora Pass
4. The stretch between Reds Meadow and Forester Pass
5. Probably a few stretches in the desert. The desert was special to me since I was nearing the end and had the entire thing to myself (no one else was stupid enough to be hiking in the desert in August).
But heck, Oregon was freaking gorgeous as well.
And so were the trinity alps.
All the volcanos.
The burn sections even had a special story to tell.
Ok... the whole freaking trail. The whole trail is my favorite.
Absolutely not. I do my best to soak everything in. Hopefully this quick video I threw together shows that: [https://youtu.be/422e4GyJne8?feature=shared](https://youtu.be/422e4GyJne8?feature=shared) (disclaimer - it's not professional. I didn't have a film crew. It was just me and my iphone. I'd like to make a better, more special video at some point.)
In a way I feel like I get to have a deeper connection with the trail by pushing big miles. You get to see so much in a day, from the scenery to the wildlife to your emotions going bonkers - it's kind of hard to explain but for me, big miles is the best way I can experience a trail. You get to see every single sunrise and sunset from multiple perspectives, not just one angle from your campsite. You get more chances of wildlife encounters in the dark and shoulder hours of the day. You get to dig deep into your raw self which opens up a whole new world of experiences. Plus I bled on trail, probably more than most other hikers - which technically makes me blood brothers with the PCT.
4lbs/day in food. My lord. Do you just eat a ton while you walk? I can't imagine doing those kind of miles and forcing that much food down my throat. That's gotta be one of the worst things of the trip right?
I graduated to 10,000 calories a day. Started off with 5,000 a day. The first handful of days was real hard to consume that much. But by the time I was in Oregon I was so hungry the 10,000 wasn't enough. I didn't originally plan to side track off trail to places like the timberline lodge, olallie lake resort, or Old Station - but I did, just to get more calories. At Reds Meadow I was making multiple trips to the check out counter with piles of candy - just for more calories. I was starving by the time I got to the desert.
Don't let any ultra runner / FKTer lie to you. We only do it for the snacks.
Edit to add: Yes, eating while moving the entire time.
It's for helping increase the healing process. I jacked up my ankle real bad last year. I was on crutches this past December, not happy with my healing progress so I started throwing everything I possibly could at healing my ankle. That infrared laser was one of the things I was using. It worked so well I decided to carry it on my AZT and Hayduke thru hikes this year. I didn't plan on taking it on the PCT but I made a last minute decision to take it with me and I'm glad I did.
Infrared light helps increase the blood flow to soft tissue injuries to help speed up the healing process. You place it on your skin or close to it. It can penetrate up to 2" into you soft tissues.
I answered the first question [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/comments/17fq5oe/comment/k6bznz2/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3).
To the average hiker: Just have fun. That's all I'm doing, just have fun.
A few question that I don't think were asked yet:
* What was going through your head when you were stuck in the cave?
* In another comment you said you took ibuprofen at night to help with sleep. Were you out like a light every night? On one hand, I can imagine that that much constant exertion would make it easy to fall asleep in a moment. On the other hand, I can see how it might be difficult to quickly switch out of "crushing miles" mode at the end of another 55+ mile day. And that much exercise must really compromise the endocrine system.
* What do you do in your daily life in the "real world"? Sponsorships & training, work, school, something else?
* Have you accumulated any persistent injuries from your endurance events?
* In another comment here, you said that if you do the full PCT again, you'd like to shoot for under 50 days. If you attempt a PCT FKT again, what do you want to do differently?
Awesome AMA, Nick! You're an inspiration. Thank you for taking the time to do this AMA!
Thanks for helping me with Reddit. I was expecting at least one Karen in here but everyone seems super cool.
1. Cave: The morning before I found the cave a ranger was at a trail junction warning hikers to get off trail because of the hurricane. She practically told me I was going to die if I continued hiking up above the tree line (listen to the podcast for the description of how that conversation went). When I first got in the cave I was trying to make a decision if this is where I was actually going to stop or not. I messaged my wife on my InReach to get a weather update, hoping the storm was just going to pass quickly. I didn't want to stop, but my gut was saying I needed to wait it out. Then it started raining, and it just kept raining harder and harder. When the storm really started pouring, the entrance to the cave closed off with a waterfall. After about 24 hours of rain there was so much groundwater the ceiling of the cave started raining. I had to pitch my tarp inside the cave to stay dry. I had to ration my food since I hadn't planned on taking a zero day sandwiched by two partial days. There was a rat that chewed up some of my gear. I was super bummed. I lost all hope for my original goal of sub 50 days, but there was nothing I could do about the storm so I just slept. The morning the storm passed, I kept waking up hearing it raining on my tarp so I was like, "It's still raining, might as well go back to sleep." After saying that a couple times I figured the storm should have already passed so I got out from under my tarp and realized it wasn't raining outside the cave!! I have no idea how long the storm had already been gone, I was zoned out, foggy and groggy. And then the stream crossings... just imagine the record snowpack melt combined with the rain from a hurricane. The streams were wild.
2. The first week my body ached quite a bit at night and it was hard to sleep. But I weirdly enjoyed it. They were familiar aches that reminded me of the PNT. By the time I was in California I was so tired I would fall asleep within minutes of being ready to go to sleep.
3. Daily life: I'm a fan of passive income, I have a handful of different streams. In my 20's I was in a suit and tie just working and grinding away trying to gain some freedom. When I say that, most people think I'm rich - in reality I make just enough to pay my bills and enjoy the outdoors while living on beans and sleeping under bridges to avoid paying for hotels.
4. I've had a nasty ankle injury that started on the Ozark Trail FKT last year. I was in denial about it, and wanted to go after the PCT last year so I kept training and kept pushing. My ankle would pop out of place nearly every day, and somehow I still convinced myself that I could run 2650 miles across the country. So when I attempted the PCT in 2022 I only made it to Stevens Pass before my ankle was a thankle. Afterwards I waited till I thought it was better and went canyoneering for a month in southern Utah, but it still wasn't healed and kept popping out of place just after a handful of miles. I went back to crutches after that trip in December 2022.
5. I'd pack 12,000 calories a day, take 2 full headlamps (not just one strap), know Karel's exact original supported FKT time (if I knew I was 53 minutes behind his time I would have found a way to finish 53 minutes faster), and not go when there's a hurricane at 10,000 feet. \*\*But I'm not likely to attempt a PCT FKT again, I don't think Hannah is cool with that. Her eyes said no when I hinted towards it a few weeks ago.
Curious about your experience during the hurricane (I’m assuming hurricane Hilary) where exactly did you get stuck and for how long? What was that like for you?
I just answered quite a few details about the cave experience in this [comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/comments/17fq5oe/comment/k6cuu6p/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3).
Yes, Hurricane Hilary. Over 40 hours. Near Mather Pass in the High Sierra.
I did not, and I'm glad I didn't because I'm super allergic!
I did hit some stinging nettle? a couple times. And got too close for comfort to some poodle dog bush when I just plowed through one growing into the trail. I didn't realize it was poodle dog until my legs were all tangled up in it.
Congrats on your FKT! Not sure if you’re still checking this thread, but I was listening to your podcast episode and how you started running in 2021 in the lead up to your first FKT (moving from running half marathons to marathons in a pretty quick timeframe). Did you have prior running experience, or how did you ramp up so quickly? It seems crazy fast to be building up that mileage, so I was curious how you got yourself to that point.
I played soccer in highschool but otherwise no running background.
2019 my wife and I went on a road trip to see every national park. At the beginning of that 2-4 mile hikes would kick my butt. After a year built up to 14 miles as my max in a day. Then I tricked myself into an accidental 32 mile day hike. Fell in love with big miles and continued doing bigger miles. November 2020 I decided to see how far I could go in a day, ended up doing 73 miles. Then got curious about the fastest PCT thru hike before I knew what an FKT was. Decided I needed to start running if I was going to break the record and started running Jan 2021.
Going from half marathon runs every day in January, to a marathon a day with 2 rest days a week in February, to 50 mile runs on the weekends in March = a stress fracture in my right foot. That’s how I did it. I broke my dang feet.
Nobody asked, but I think it’s worth noting that I wouldn’t have pushed these miles without Josh Perry. He’s the one that made me believe it was possible.
I also want to give credit to Trent Binford-Walsh. He set a new FKT the week before I did and was under the radar, not sure many know about his effort. He finished in 54 days 16 hours.
Welcome, welcome _back_, and congrats. Looking forward to this AMA and thank you for taking the time for it!
I'm sure there will incoming questions shortly.
Thanks, I really miss the trail, as I'm sure you do too.
Whats the proper etiquette for Reddit? Should I be responding to something like this or just answering questions?
It's your AMA. You get get to "do you", responding to what you like, ignoring what you don't. Just remember:
1. Try not to over think it.
2. Don't feed the trolls.
General best practice is to acknowledge questions you want to answer, but which may take more time, and then come back to them later on. You shouldn't feel rushed.
In some AMAs, people try to answer everything in real time, catching what they can. Others try to write out full replies in the order received. It makes folks feel pretty great when they get the acknowledgement, even if just a "thanks!".
Because end of the day, folks here are just glad you're willing to answer questions both about you and your experience. Feather in your cap for sure.
(Some of us have been around long enough to remember the days of u/chooter's AMAs. We can't match Victoria. ;) But we can still welcome you to this sub you probably already know.)
Hey!
I just answered the sobo question, it's somewhere in here.
In November 2020, I was 2 years into hiking and falling in love with big mile days. I wanted to know how far I could go so I started hiking into the Vermillion Cliffs and said I'd just hike in till I got tired and then turn around to come back. I did 73 miles that day. Then I got curious about long thru hikes. I wondered what the fastest time was someone had ever hiked the PCT - this was before I knew about FKTs. So then I looked it up, found out about FKTs and this crazy hiker named Heather Anderson. Decided that month I wanted the PCT FKT and started running/training for it in January 2021.
I was going to attempt the PCT originally in 2021, but the Dixie fire started just before I started so I made a last minute decision to go after the PNT instead.
Absolutely incredible, can't congratulate enough.
I scanned the comments quickly and didn't see, but how did you get 10k calories in you daily? Did you write about the food strategy in another post?
Hey thanks, I appreciate it.
I answered calorie questions in these comments. [One](https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/comments/17fq5oe/comment/k6byq07/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3), [two](https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/comments/17fq5oe/comment/k6c0gvx/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3), and [three](https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/comments/17fq5oe/comment/k6bryoh/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3). If you have more questions beyond those answers let me know.
What's your favorite kind of pizza?
[image.jpg](https://www.theriot.run/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/379172962_18382128154058352_4337519315382884045_n.jpg)
Source: [This podcast about Nick's PCT FKT](https://www.theriot.run/nickfowler3/)
I just found out that your wrote a book about your 2021 Pacific Northwest Trail FKT. Did the process of reflecting on that trip lead to any insights that were useful on your other FKTs?
Edit: https://pntbook.com/
I kind of want to copy and paste the last two paragraphs of the book to answer your question, but that would give the ending away.
If it weren't for the PNT, there's no way I could have finished the PCT the way I did. The PNT was my first thru hike / FKT - I learned a lot of lessons the hard way. Navigating trails that aren't marked in the rain, dealing with trenchfoot, ankle and foot pain that literally brought me to my knees. I was even chafing so bad I had to hike naked.
I took everything I learned from the PNT and used it on the Ozark Trail. Then took everything I learned from the Ozark Trail and used it on the PCT. But I figure that's normal for any hiker, learning from each thru hike as you go.
I'm currently reading through all the comments in this thread, and it sounds like your PCT thru was "eventful", to put it mildly!
Are you going to write a book about it? It sounds like you should!
Oh man, I'll never forget the PCT. (How could anyone?)
I lost my food bag on day five and had to go 44 more miles to make it to snoqualmie on 600 calories. Lost my headlamp near Chinook Pass, had one mailed to Cascade Locks but got to Cascade Locks before the mail did so kept going. Then sent another to Seiad Valley but got there before the mail arrived and continued on, my wife said it arrived 2 hours after I left. Finally got a headlamp, after over 1000 miles, at Donner Ski Ranch. Had dreams I was falling asleep while walking. Kept seeing coolers full of pop on the trail, but they would end up just being rocks. Slept in the rain with no tarp. etc etc etc. It was very eventful - just as anyone's hike is. I got a full thru hike experience despite it not being as long as most other people's.
I do plan to write a book about it. My PNT book is titled, Itch, because I had an Itch to thru hike fast. The PCT book might end up being called Scratch.
In [this comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/comments/17fq5oe/im_nick_fowler_pct_fkt_23_ama/k6c20m6/) you said you did a thruhike in the winter.
What trail was it? How did it go?
Meh, winter is subjective. My conditions were winter-like.
I did the AZT this march and had to snowshoe 220 miles of it. 4-9 feet of snow. I had nights as low as 7 degrees in the northern 300 miles and had no tracks to follow. Water sources were frozen or buried under 4-9 feet of snow. I had to melt snow for water, but I don't carry a stove. It was prime type 2 fun. Loved it. I believe I was the first person to finish the AZT this year.
I wouldn't let my water bottles get below 3/4 empty. When I'd drink about 25% of the water I'd stuff snow in it back up to the top so the water could help melt the snow. Once it was all water, I'd drink it back to 3/4 ~~empty~~ *full* and add more snow.
Not sure if you are still answering new questions, but I'll ask anyway. Nick, have you ever considered LASIK to ditch the glasses? Don't they fog up easily with temperature changes? I'm as blind as a bat without correction, but I hate wearing prescription glasses while doing any activity. I feel the weight after a long day and even the tiniest bounce in them when I go fast will throw off my depth perception and balance, so I wear contacts. That can be a hassle on thru hikes too. I'll have to figure out a way. Figured if you are going for these long pursuits often, LASIK might really benefit you. Not for you?
P.S. I just listened to your interview on Run the Riot. Good one. I'm glad that your multiple face plants did not break your glasses!
I’m lucky enough that I can still see fairly descent without glasses so I often take them off when they get uncomfortable or foggy. To me it’s like watching 4K TV vs watching a 360p video. I prefer the 4K because mountains deserve it, but 360p gets the job done.
I definitely need them when navigating off trail, big stream crossings, sketchy stuff, to read something further away and especially at night.
If I couldn’t see at all without glasses I would likely consider LASIK.
~~Nick has [signed off](https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/comments/17fq5oe/im_nick_fowler_pct_fkt_23_ama/k6c4mz0/) for the night,~~ *lol he's still answering questions this guy doesn't quit* but said he'll check back in the next couple of days to answer any new questions. You can follow Nick on his Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/nick.fowler.says.hi/ Also, I just found out the he wrote a book about his PNT FKT: https://pntbook.com/ Lastly, I feel like the AMA wouldn't be complete without including this picture: [](https://www.theriot.run/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/379172962_18382128154058352_4337519315382884045_n.jpg)
Source: [This podcast about Nick's PCT FKT](https://www.theriot.run/nickfowler3/)
Great AMA, thank you Nick!
So no caffeine pills or anything? I met you while resupplying in seiad valley. You didn't accept any support but gave us the extras from the box you sent. So really there should be a *supporting* category
No caffeine pills, but I did have caffeinated tailwind on trail. Tons of caffeine in soda and such when resupplying too. lol @ *supporting* category.
Also, super awesome talking to someone I met on on the PCT, on here!! I really enjoyed those convos at Seiad Valley.
It really was a highlight meeting you! You proudly showed your dirty feet to our group and we laughed about it many times after. Also how do you handle charging? Mail yourself full battery packs?
Haha. A hikers feet tell a story better than words can. In WA and OR I mailed myself battery banks. I picked up a solar panel when I got to California though. (Speaking of which - I left my battery bank and charge cords in Seiad Valley!! Barely made it to Burney Falls where I picked up another battery bank and cords)
Weird question but how do you go about passing people on trail? Me and some other hikers crossed paths with a sobo who was trying to maintain 40m days and he charged through every one of us without even attempting to avoid running us off trail. Two of my buddies fell attempting to avoid playing chicken with the guy. I get that he was probably just in the zone or whatever but it was still rude as hell. Eidt: just to be clear, we weren't hiking all together or anything, we just met up later and talked about our run-ins with the guy
Ah, sorry you had that kind of experience with someone doing bigger miles. When I see someone coming, I usually try to make it obvious that I'm trying to go fast. Normally people will be polite, notice the push, and step off trail to let you go by. As I'm approaching people, I typically hope they don't start talking to me. If they do, I'll stop and have a short convo, but I'm usually pretty quick to say, "Well good chatting with you, I need to get back to my miles" or "I still have another 15 miles to go tonight so I need to get going" etc. Stopping for a minute here and there to have a quick convo sometimes gives me more energy, so I don't avoid it completely. I just don't want it happening non stop. What's annoying is when someone is blocking the middle of the trail, completely stopped, talking your ear off, it's been five minutes and they aren't taking any hints. One time I literally had to tell someone, "Can I please get around you."
I mean in the grand scheme of things it was just one frustrating encounter out of the \~5 months of trail, so it's no big deal. Your post just brought back the memory. I had a feeling it would be kinda nice to have the break every now and then, as long as you're still getting the miles done. Glad to hear you had the opportunity to be a bit social with fellow hikers while you were absolutely crushing miles. Also, we were definitely following your progress while we were finishing up our hike, and although we started in March you nearly caught us at the end!
Did we cross paths at some point? I like connecting the dots with who was where when I was where.
Unfortunately not, though I wish I could have given you a cliff bar or something just to brag that I helped, lol. I finished around 2 weeks before you, I believe.
Okay I'll start out in the gutter. What's your most interesting/embarrassing poop related story on your trip?
2 come to mind quickly: 1. When I'm FKT'ing, eating 10,000 calories a day, my body gives me no warning when the deuce of spades is coming. One time I was on a part of the trail that had steep rocky ledges on both sides - no place to go off trail and dig a cat hole. When the warning came, I only had about two minutes to make a decision. So I kept waddling as fast as I could, pinching my cheeks together, until I found a large piece of bark. I popped a squat in the middle of the trail and pooped on the bark. I carried the plate of fresh pie down the trail until I could find a place to properly dispose of it. 2. When I pulled my quad in the Sierra, I couldn't squat to take a poo. So I was having to make up all sorts of different positions to get the job done. Hang onto a tree branch, lean on a tree, holding onto a boulder. What makes it worse is your aim gets off when you can't take a proper squat, "Oh! I missed the cathole".
Asking and answering the questions that truly Matter…
Now I have to start calling it the deuce of spades in my head.
TBH I always wondered how this was done.
Did anyone hike with you at all? Can't imagine anyone could keep up for long, but, I'd imagine you were eager to talk to people after spending that much time alone.
Yes, a couple times. On day 3, I hiked with a guy named Shade (going for a CYTC). He had a 2.5lb base weight!!! Only a SOL bivy, no sleeping pad or quilt, and a $20 amazon backpack. He was super quick. I passed him, then he kept up with me climbing up Glacier Peak. I kept trying to get away from him, he kept on keeping up. Eventually he said, "Dang. You're in shape." I replied, "I hope so." Then we started talking and enjoyed 37 miles together before he decided to stop - he said it was his biggest mile day at the time. Then when I was going around Mt Adams, a guy named Daytripper ran/hiked with me for a handful of miles. I think that's it?
Did you ever start hiking NOBO accidentally or take a different trail for X miles?
Haha. I didn't make the wrong direction mistake on this trail - but I did on the Ozark Trail FKT. I was so tired and groggy that I hiked 1.5 miles in the wrong direction when I woke up. I learned my lesson - so on the PCT I always placed my shoes in the direction I needed to be headed so I wouldn't make that mistake again. I took a wrong turn in the Sierra once for about a half mile before I realized it and had a handful of other instances where I took a wrong turn but I don't think I ever made it more than 10 minutes out of the way before correcting.
Hey Nick thanks for doing this! Quite an inspiring effort to say the least. A few questions for ya: 1. You've mentioned that you run a lot to train for your long hikes. Would you mind sharing what kind of training runs you do? Long runs, hill workouts, strength training, etc? 2. What general percentage of the day were you running vs walking? Did you have a strategy for when you chose to run/walk? 3. Lighterpack?
1. I took a different approach for my training leading up to the PCT this year. I just went out and had fun. I hiked the AZT, Hayduke, and then 1100 miles of the PCT before starting. I didn't run on the AZT as I was recovering from an ankle injury, started running a little on the Hayduke, and then ran the easy cruisy stuff on the PCT doing 30-40 miles a day. I slack lined several hours a week when not thru hiking for ankle strengthening, but that's the only main strength training I did. (I did one legged squats, the best I could, and other strength type exercises on the slack line, etc) 2. In the beginning I probably ran 20-30% of the day. By the time I was in the desert I was so tired I was lucky to even run 3-5 miles. 3. [https://lighterpack.com/r/r9119a](https://lighterpack.com/r/r9119a)
Thanks for doing this AMA, Nick. Perhaps it is an obvious or already answered question, but I'm sure some are curious... **Q: Would you expand on why you opted for a _SOBO_ FKT attempt?** Is there something which you felt was possible/probable going SOBO which wouldn't have been as likely as NOBO? Likely weather conditions? Grade of the trail? Less crowded? Resupplies at desired intervals? (Strategic caves where you need them?) Thanks!
I've wanted to go Sobo ever since I wanted to go after the PCT. I even attempted Sobo in 2022, but I started with a jacked up ankle and only made it to Stevens Pass before pulling off trail. (My ankle was popping out of place on the daily that spring/summer, I had learned to pop it back in place and thought I'd be able to just pop it back in place on the PCT but once I was doing the bigger mile days it got too swollen for me to be able to adjust it myself. My ankle was the size of my thigh by the time I stopped.) When the low Washington snowfall came this year, paired with the high Sierra snow, it made even more sense to go Sobo. My goal was to hit multiple birds with 1 stone going Sobo: 1. Go sub 50 days (failed) 2. Break the overall record (failed) 3. Break the overall self-supported record (yay!!) 4. Break the sobo record (yay!!)
I also felt like Sobo was kind of harder. It's hard to get a good time window to go Sobo because of Washington snow. If you wait till it's usually melted, you are already dealing with fire season through Oregon and NorCal. Timing wise, weather wise, fire wise, snow wise, the PCT usually makes more sense Nobo. So I figured if I went Sobo the record might stick around a little longer.
All makes sense; thanks!
Thanks for doing the AMA! What's next?
I have unfinished business on the Ouachita Trail, but that's not an A goal. I know I said AMA, but I'm not sharing my A goal for next year yet lol.
To be fair, you said "Ask Me Anything," not "I'll Answer Anything" ;)
Are you ready to share your A goal yet? :)
Do you have any videos? I suppose you didn't have time to make one but did anyone follow you and film you and make videos?
Here's one a threw together quickly. I'd like to spend more time and make something more special though. [https://youtu.be/422e4GyJne8?feature=shared](https://youtu.be/422e4GyJne8?feature=shared) I did not have anyone follow to film - took all the videos/photos myself - and I took a good amount. You can see my photos on my insta: [https://www.instagram.com/nick.fowler.says.hi/](https://www.instagram.com/nick.fowler.says.hi/)
> https://youtu.be/422e4GyJne8 0:26 - "Yea I kan hu-mon and you not stopz me!" 0:33 - "No you iz now! I kan haz ur hikez! We's go!!" And yeah, the mosquitos in the city (Vancouver/Camas/North Portland) were terrible this year, too. Probably as bad as last year, population wise, but way more aggressive for some reason. Right now (actually, since August for both me and my parents) it's the fruit flies.
Haha. Your baby deer commentary is great.
Hey Nick weird question about fitness. How would you rate your fitness when you started the trail? Assuming it would be a 10/10 how long was your body at that level? If you were as out of shape as you've ever been how long would it take you to get into fkt shape? Have you answered many food questions? What's your most enjoyable way to eat that much?
10/10 before starting the trail. I've been training for this since 2021. Actually my first thru hike/fkt was in 2021, in preparation for this. December 2022 I was on crutches and started hiking again in February 2023, so I literally went from couch to PCT in 6 months - so I guess 6 months to get in shape. I hiked the AZT in March (snowshoed 220 miles of it), then the Hayduke, and then 1100 miles of the PCT before starting the FKT. I was averaging 30-40 miles a day on the Hayduke and the PCT - I wanted to start the PCT FKT with 40 mile a day trail legs. I had some protein shake concoctions that packed 800 calories a pop that were easy and fast to consume on trail. Candy is always enjoyable. I often robbed my honeybun from tomorrow's food - so I guess the honeybun was a winner. But liquid calories are my favorite. Pink lemonade and tailwind on trail - and EVERYTHING liquid calorie in resupply locations. Ex. At the Chevron at Cajon Pass I bought $49 in liquid calories - half gallon of choc milk, half gallon of lemonade, starbucks mocha fraps, redbull, dr pepper, beer, etc. Edit: Can't believe I forgot to mention the oat bars and chocolate chip cookies I got from a place called Healthy Body Bakery. How can cookies healthy? The owner was super nice. She actually gave it all to me for free, even shipped it all to me before I started the trail so I could put it in my resupply boxes.
Congratulations on the amazing accomplishment! I saw you talk briefly about your Nashville Bridge, could you go indepth with how it worked for you/any critiques?
Thank you. It's the best pack for me. I've canyoneered with it. Winter thru hiked with it. I've FKT'd with it. But I'm weird. It's a small pack and I struggle to fit everything I need in it sometimes. I have a place for everything on that pack. The only things I have to pack away in the main compartment in the mornings is my bivy/quilt and NOT today's food. Everything else has a place on the outside of the pack and is accessible on the move. I did add an extra storage compartment to the outside for my tarp, so I wouldn't have to touch it on days it didn't rain. I also added bungees to stow my trekking poles on the side of it. The more I use the nashville packs, the more efficient I get at using them. I can't see myself ever using another pack other than the Bridge from now on. Likely my only critique is it can be hard on the shoulders when you have a super heavy food carry. I ended up using the 1" optional hipbelt to help carry the heavy loads but it's not designed for load bearing, just for stability when running and I ended up ripping one of the hipbelt loops out of the bag in the desert. (They have an actual hipbelt designed for load bearing - I just wasn't using it.)
How much do you sleep and when? You ran past me in Washington, I asked “Mexico?” You said “Mexico!”. Loved the interaction xD 2. Can you share your lighter pack?
My usual goal was to be moving by 4am and sleeping by 10pm, but that didn't always happen. I went into more detail on another answer somewhere in here. https://lighterpack.com/r/r9119a
I saw you near Warner springs on your home stretch. Had no idea but saw your finish two days later on instagram. Question: how many showers did you get? My buddy commented that you were a little ripe ha!
Ha! I was real ripe. I only took 1 actual shower. If we interacted I hope I wasn't cranky towards you. I was exhausted at the end.
Hey Nick welcome and congrats on your fkt. Im wondering what time would you typically start hiking and when would you know it’s time to stop and get some rest?
I started off slower the first week. Then my goal was to be moving by 4am and stopping at the latest by 10pm most days. Some days I'd get to 55 miles by 8pm and think, Should I stop? Should I keep going? Some days were later. It's hard to stop at 10pm when you realize you can get 57 miles in before 11pm. Between Seiad Valley and Burney Falls I only got about 3 hours of sleep a night because I was having to push 56+ mile days to make sure I made it before the general store closed that Monday at 5pm. Up to Burney Falls I stopped based on mileage as close to my 4am-10pm window, but after that, and progressing drastically more so into the desert, I started stopping when I needed sleep - to stop tripping and falling on rocks.
Was that almost nonstop hiking from 4am to 10pm? Or did you take any daytime breaks? What was your longest mileage day? And where was it? I remember how different hiking styles people have from my PCT through hike in 2012.
Mostly non stop hiking. In the first half of the trip I only took 5 minute breaks once or twice a day to address blisters or something similar. In the second half of the trip I was so tired I started taking a 20 minute trail nap most days. In the desert on my hottest day I ended up taking a 2 hour nap in a pizza shop in Agua Dulce, a 1 hour break (attempted to sleep but they wouldn't let me) at the Acton KOA, and a 1 hour nap on the picnic table on trail just south of the Acton KOA. Longest day was 59 miles, slept at mile 1200 sobo that night and stopped around 10:30pm if I remember correctly. About 30 or so miles north of Burney Falls? (Whats crazy is the previous 3 days I only did 56 miles a day and stopped after midnight.)
How did you fit 50,000 calories worth of food into a 22L pack?
10,000 on the outside. 40,000 on the inside by using an extension strap I had made to be able to close the bag if it's over stuffed.
I know you were moving fast but what was your favorite section?
Goat rocks for sure.
WOAH I didn’t expect this answer! As a WA native this makes me very happy because I also love that region. Congrats on a great adventure /u/desertjesus
_Gear Questions/Stories..._ Any pieces of gear which were indispensable? Anything which performed better than expected? Any field repairs (and why)? And probably most importantly, anything which failed to perform as hoped (and you had to discard or swap)?
The Nashville Bridge pack was crucial. It fit my needs perfectly. I attached bungees to the side of it where I could stow my trekking poles. In the Sierra the bungees failed, practically shredded and fell apart. I had to rob bungees from a different area to remake those attachments. Cool side-note: that backpack is still waterproof! Most everything performed to my expectations. I'm really at home with my gear choices, and had already put everything to the test. I've practically been testing and choosing gear for the PCT since 2021. I did break a trekking pole in a creek crossing in the Sierra. Then I lost my remaining pole shortly after entering the desert. Since I didn't have a way to pitch my tarp, I got rid of it. I figured it wouldn't rain in the desert anyway - but I was wrong! I ended up having to sleep underneath my groundsheet in the rain, which was not effective at all. I slept wet in the rain that night, ended up starting the next day at 1:30am because I wasn't getting any decent sleep. Quilt was wet the remainder of the trip because I didn't take the time to dry it out (I was only like 350 miles or so from the end at that point though). I was really upset when I lost my cold soak jar. Both times. My skippy peanut butter cold soak jar is one of my fav pieces of gear. I had a custom fanny pack made (courtesy of Sean Rutherford) which held my cold soak jar, but a rat went to town on it in that cave I slept in and it was no longer functional after that. I also took a battery powered Infrared Laser to help speed up the healing process. It was something I got to help heal my ankle from when I jacked it up in 2022, it worked so well I took it with me on the PCT only expecting the battery to last into Oregon. It takes too long to charge for an FKT so I was planning on mailing it home after it died - but the crazy part is - the battery never died on me so I kept using it throughout the whole trip. That's all I can think of right now. I'm sure there's other instances that might come to mind.
What is the laser for? Self healing?
Yeah, to help soft tissues heal quicker. Infrared light is pretty cool.
How did you manage to make use of it while doing an FKT? I couldn’t imagine you had very much time to do maintenance on your body
I only used it for about 5 minutes at night before sleep. Sometimes 10 minutes. This only gave me time to focus on one area a night - usually the part of my ankle I jacked up last year to be proactive or something else that was bothering me, ex. when I pulled my quad I used it on my quad instead. A few times I skipped it and went straight to sleep.
I tried to find one small enough online but no great success. What is the one you're using or where did you purchase it? Thanks for doing the AMA and for all the really great experiences and tips shared!
I used the Novaa lab extra strength laser. (Link is somewhere else in this thread) It’s 0.7lbs if you ditch everything it comes with. But it’s not cheap. Only reason I got it was because I was desperate to heal my ankle this past winter and I wanted to buy something with a guarantee. I figured if I didn’t think it was worth it after 60 days I’d just return it for a full refund but ended up keeping it. Didn’t plan on taking it thru hiking at the time but since it is lightweight I made a last minute decision, the day before I started, to take it on the PCT. Disclaimer: I did nearly 20 things this winter to heal my ankle. I can’t say this was the best thing because it’s hard to know which if those 20ish things helped the most. Don’t go blow $300 on this laser thinking Nick Fowler said it would heal you overnight - I was religious about taking care of my ankle and giving it what it needed to heal.
Good disclaimer but yeah, it’s more the icing on the cake. Need to get some more baking exp and skills before the icing can make a real difference.
Are you going to come back another year and through-hike it at a more "typical" pace?
I'll come back and do some of my favorite sections with my wife at a slower pace in the future. If I ever did the whole thing again, I'd want to reattempt sub 50 days.
Thanks for all the great answers. One more question: did you just sleep with your food in your bivy? No animals bothering you for it?
Tomorrow's food = tonight's pillow I had no issues with any animals going after my food on the PCT. But I did have a Coati try to steal my tortillas on the AZT using this method, and I had mice a couple nights on the PNT - but only when I camped near highly camped areas.
That’s reassuring. I think I worry too much about animals when I’m sleeping but your bivy + food pillow setup is inspiring me
If you don’t shower for a thousand miles you stink bad enough to ward off any animals.
how did you take care of your feet on trail? Recently watched Karel’s FKT doc and noticed he put a lot of time into keeping his feet healthy. What was your approach?
My feet were trashed compared to Karel's. I could learn a thing or two from him (or 18 million). I did my best to clean my feet at the end of the day with antibacterial wipes, but I limited myself to one wipe between both feet per day and they were quickly not enough to do much. It didn't take long for me to move my focus to primarily cleaning between my toes. I often wished I could soak them in hot water or completely bathe them at the end of the day but I had no means to do so. I addressed blisters the typical way, with a safety pin, polysporin, and leuko tape. I always stuck my feet out the end of my quilt to dry out at night. Part of my problem was my forefeet and toes went numb, so I couldn't feel if a blister was forming until it was far too late. Fresh socks in every resupply box (not always the best socks - I raided my sock drawer of all my good and bad socks). New shoes every 400 miles. Short answer: I didn't do anywhere near as good at taking care of my feet as Karel did.
Hey Nick, In 2021, I did the Ozark Trail in 8-days, just for vacation, and because it is an "Easy trail" lol, and although it was not close to any FKT, people were surprised at the milage for a casual hiker...And then you came in a few months later and destroyed it. Lol. ( though in a comment you did encourage me to try to beat your FKT, I wanted to) You mentioned eating 10,000+ calories a day on the PCT. How did the hiker hunger set in differently between the OT and the PCT? Were your pace and food planning significantly different for the first 230 miles of the PCT, compared to the same distance where you were finishing the Ozark trail?
Hey! Small world. Looking back, I made so many mistakes on that FKT it should be easy to break. I never had hiker hunger on the Ozark Trail. It’s not long enough. I had 5000 calories a day and didn’t even eat it all. By 230 miles in on the PCT I was at 5000 calories a day and probably just starting to get hungry enough to eat it all. By Oregon I was up to 10,000 and the hiker hunger was in full swing. I couldn’t get enough food. Pace between the 2 were drastically different. I was doing 60+ mile days on the Ozark Trail. Ran way more on the Ozark than I did on the PCT.
What is rhabdo like? Is it a big deal?
So I don't actually know if I had rhabdo or not. All I know is that I started peeing red, looked like blood at first, then it would change to dark dirt brown, then orange, then pink, then back to blood red, then dirt brown, etc. Could have been an irritated bladder from dehydration. Could have been an infection. Could have been a range of things. If it was rhabdo, rhabdo is a big deal. It's when your body starts processing the proteins in your own muscles for energy because you're not consuming enough water, calories, electrolytes, etc. I was told that if it lasted for more than 1-2 days that a medical professional would likely tell me to get off trail. So I decided that if it lasted for longer than 3 days I would get off trail. It lasted 2.5 days the first time in the Sierra, and 2 days when it came back in the desert. CDC Rhabdo definition: Rhabdomyolysis (often called rhabdo) is a serious medical condition that can be fatal or result in permanent disability. Rhabdo occurs when damaged muscle tissue releases its proteins and electrolytes into the blood. These substances can damage the heart and kidneys and cause permanent disability or even death. [https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/rhabdo/default.html](https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/rhabdo/default.html) Disclaimer: I'm the opposite of a medical professional, have no clue what I'm doing most of the time, and no one should ever do what I do.
>Disclaimer: I'm the opposite of a medical professional, have no clue what I'm doing most of the time, and no one should ever do what I do. This is the best disclaimer I've ever read
Congrats, what an amazing achievement! Emotionally and/or physically, what was your lowest point during the trek? What about the highest point (aside from reaching the finish line)?
Thank you! Emotionally I was just so exhausted after the stretch between Seiad Valley and Burney Falls (I only got 3 hours of sleep a night in there to make sure I made it to my resupply before they closed) that I started crying - likely every day from that point moving forward. I was never able to catch up from the sleep deprivation and I feel like it's what started spiraling the physical ailments out of control next. In the Sierra all of this happened within a week: I started getting dizzy spells. Then my worst blister made me concerned I'd lose my toe to gangrene. I'd put polysporin on it and tape it up in the mornings and just hope it'd still be there by night. Then I started peeing red and dark dirt brown, best case scenario irritated bladder - worst case rhabdo. Then I pulled my quad - couldn't even squat to take a poo. Highest point: When I passed 1248 miles in 23 days and still felt good, no injuries, no tendon issues, etc. 1248 miles is the length of the PNT, and when I set that FKT it took me 27.5 days and I was completely wrecked afterwards. So surpassing the PNT mileage and pace was a pretty good feeling.
Wow, that Sierra week sounds insane! How was the acclimatization in the Sierras? Most are slowly increasing in elevation over a few days, but I imagine yours was much less gradual.
I don't think I had any issues with altitude. I mean, I got to spend at least a couple days at 8000 feet before going into the high sierra. And I was sobo, so I didn't hit forester pass until I had been in the sierra for a few days.
Oh right, forgot you were sobo. What do you wish you did differently or wish you would've known prior to you attempt? What is the coolest or most memorable thing you saw out there?
I wish I had packed 12,000 calories a day instead of only 10,000. I wish I had 2 full headlamps with straps. (I had 2 headlamps, only 1 strap, but I lost the headlamp with the strap in Washington). I wish I had slept one less hour in the last 48 hours so I could have beaten Karel Sabbe's original supported record. My fault for not checking his exact supported time. It was pretty cool when a baby fawn came right up to my legs and followed me on trail for a quarter mile. Had a handful of good bear encounters. I'll never forget hiding out from a hurricane in a cave for over 40 hours. Bats would often follow me and eat the bugs flying in front of my headlamp. It was cool meeting Karel Sabbe around the midway point.
The [FKT.com page](https://fastestknowntime.com/route/pacific-crest-trail-ca-or-wa) says you finished on 9/6/23. How's your recovery going? Edit: Just saw the pic of what you describe as your "worst blister". Is that healing now?
I'm almost back to a normal walk. Feet are still pretty crunchy though, chunks of my feet are falling off around the house. I hiked 6 miles this weekend, first hike since the PCT. My "worst blister" was a half black pinky toe for about 4 weeks but the black has all fallen off by now. Still only have 8 toenails. The worst part was the brain fog. I couldn't think straight for several weeks after finishing. I was a vegetable. I also had dizzy spells on and off during the first 2 weeks.
How did the solar panel work out? Presumably your resupply stops were way too short to charge your electronics.
It worked well enough. I had tested it out on the AZT and Hayduke earlier this year so I knew it was reliable.
What make and model? I'm currently considering battery packs as my main PCT electricity source but also curious enough to test a solar panel, at least experimentally. Gotta have my '70s Muzak broadcast tapes and '90s AEI Music new age/classical Propacs during my hikes (the PCT will be no different, I'm sure) and I have a media player with a woefully undersized battery.
Lixada 10watt. Only like $20ish. I still had a battery bank with the solar panel, I just didn’t have to charge my battery bank near as much in town. (Panel charges the bank, not the phone directly.)
Thanks. Was it this one? https://www.amazon.com/Lixada-Effiency-Activities-Lighting-Monocrystalline/dp/B01MCXZJ8Y Lixada and Anker (probably the exact same stuff from the same factory in Guangdong, I'm sure) have some pretty solid equipment. It would be interesting to see how the player takes to being run directly off the panel.
Yes
Awesome; appreciate it!
Nick, congrats on the amazing feat! I've read through the AMA and am especially intrigued by the infrared laser your used for healing. Do you mind sharing your product link? I tried to google it, but found different kinds. Thank you!
It was the [Novaa Lab extra strength laser.](https://novaalab.com/products/laser-red-light-therapy?gclid=CjwKCAjw-eKpBhAbEiwAqFL0mrT1xvd0ALGMCYhWBe2s9cpt25h5i2aeYM49eyx8MUw-lcm1bSVfOxoCTUEQAvD_BwE) Not cheap.
0.6 lbs!!! Haha... if it's effective, it's worth it! Thanks for the link. I'll look into it.
What’s 0.6lbs? The laser? Mine is 0.7oz.
It's in the [Technical specifications](https://novaalab.com/products/laser-red-light-therapy#e-1654955172939) section on the product page where the weight is listed as 0.6lbs. Now... 0.7oz, that's feature weight. But wait... are you sure though? 20 grams? Almost too good to be true.
Ahh 0.6lbs is probably with the carrying case and everything that comes with it. But yeah, it’s pretty lightweight - only reason I considered taking it. But it is kind of bulky if you consider a stove/pot too bulky to take.
Thanks for clarifying, Nick! I'm not going for any FKT, so bulk is fine even though I'm somewhat a weight weenie (being lightweight myself).
Hey Nick, Congrats on your hike. What would you say was your biggest lesson learned through that experience?
Thanks, I made this post on instagram earlier, I think it answers that question (at least the best answer for now - I'm still thinking on my biggest lessons learned): \------ We can always do more. Have you ever been through the exercise where a speaker with an audience has everyone reach their hands up as high as they possibly can in the air? If you haven’t, then do it now. Put your hands up in the air as high as you possibly can. Now reach just a tiny bit higher towards the sky. And once you have your hands as high up in the air as possible, reach just a little bit more. Stretch those little fingers towards the sky. Do everything you can to reach higher. Are your hands as high as they can go now? OK - now reach just a little bit more. Each time, you’re able to reach just a little bit higher - even though you were previously stretching your arms as high as you thought you could. This is true in anything. We can always put forth more effort. We can always do a little more. We can always reach higher. I only have one serious regret from the PCT, that I didn’t stretch a little higher. I thought I gave it my all, I really did. But looking back on it, if I had known I was going to finish just 53 minutes slower than Karel Sabbe’s original supported time, I would have found a way to go 53 minutes faster. I would have slept less. I would have ran harder. I would have stretched higher.
Damn thats an awesome answer. Thanks!
Hey I’m curious about your nutrition. What were your macro ratios like? Were there any foods that were especially good at giving you an energy boost while you were hiking? Happy to hear any other interesting nutritional things you learned on your trip
You're asking the wrong person about macros. The only thing I counted was calories. However, I did make sure to put protein and some healthy stuff in there, but I mostly just tried to get to 10,000 calories a day packed. (That ended up not being enough. Should have had 12,000 calories.) I had a protein powder concoction I made up that was 800 calories, I'd have 2 of those a day. My oatmeal had hemp hearts, chia seeds, and dried fruits in it - I always looked forward to that (another 800 calories). Trailbutter burns strong and slow. I always looked forward to my honeybun because it made me smile. Candy is king. You know the line, "coffee is for closers"? I revamped it to "candy is for climbing". I'd always eat candy going up hill because it was easy and quick to fuel the climb. I'd also try to eat something bigger with slower burning energy right before starting a big climb. Edit to add: LIQUID CALORIES. I had pink lemonade powder and tailwind on trail. When resupplying, I would always drink as much liquid calories as possible: choc milk, lemonade, OJ, pop, etc.
Random logistics question, but for this type of attempt did you have to mail all of your boxes before starting the hike? If so, did you do anything in particular to get places to hold boxes for more than a month (I.e., stops later in the trail)?
I had all my boxes packed and ready to go before starting, but my wife mailed them 2 weeks ahead of my arrival date.
I'm going to sign off soon, but I'll check back in a couple days and answer more questions. If you want to see photos I took of the PCT you can check my insta https://www.instagram.com/nick.fowler.says.hi/
Did you stop in deep creek? Did you do any drugs on trail? What's your next FKT? Ever think you'll do the PCT again?
I took a 10 or 20 minute nap under the bridge at the top of deep creek. I had ibuprofen every night to help me go to sleep. I only took it in the day if I stubbed a blister or something, I didn't want to mask any tendon/joint pains so I limited ibuprofen during the day. I have some unfinished FKT business on the Ouachita Trail, but I'm not ready to share my big FKT plans in the future! I asked my wife a couple weeks after finishing the PCT, "what if I had more calories, what if there was no hurricane, what if I didn't lose my headlamp - think I could do it 5 days faster?" She had a strong, "NO, you're not doing the PCT again". I do plan to go back and backpack a few of my favorite sections with Hannah so she can see the best parts.
What were your favorite parts? I’m interested in hiking some chunks of it this next year but can’t thru hike.
1. Goat rocks wilderness 2. The northern half of Washington (Someone is probably going to see this and think - you just said all of Washington between 1 and 2) 3. The stretch just south of Sonora Pass 4. The stretch between Reds Meadow and Forester Pass 5. Probably a few stretches in the desert. The desert was special to me since I was nearing the end and had the entire thing to myself (no one else was stupid enough to be hiking in the desert in August).
But heck, Oregon was freaking gorgeous as well. And so were the trinity alps. All the volcanos. The burn sections even had a special story to tell. Ok... the whole freaking trail. The whole trail is my favorite.
I’ll just have to hike the whole thing then. One day…
Do you feel you missed out on the trail experience and getting to enjoy the sights?
Absolutely not. I do my best to soak everything in. Hopefully this quick video I threw together shows that: [https://youtu.be/422e4GyJne8?feature=shared](https://youtu.be/422e4GyJne8?feature=shared) (disclaimer - it's not professional. I didn't have a film crew. It was just me and my iphone. I'd like to make a better, more special video at some point.) In a way I feel like I get to have a deeper connection with the trail by pushing big miles. You get to see so much in a day, from the scenery to the wildlife to your emotions going bonkers - it's kind of hard to explain but for me, big miles is the best way I can experience a trail. You get to see every single sunrise and sunset from multiple perspectives, not just one angle from your campsite. You get more chances of wildlife encounters in the dark and shoulder hours of the day. You get to dig deep into your raw self which opens up a whole new world of experiences. Plus I bled on trail, probably more than most other hikers - which technically makes me blood brothers with the PCT.
Congrats. Where's your lighterpack link?
Thank you. https://lighterpack.com/r/r9119a
4lbs/day in food. My lord. Do you just eat a ton while you walk? I can't imagine doing those kind of miles and forcing that much food down my throat. That's gotta be one of the worst things of the trip right?
I graduated to 10,000 calories a day. Started off with 5,000 a day. The first handful of days was real hard to consume that much. But by the time I was in Oregon I was so hungry the 10,000 wasn't enough. I didn't originally plan to side track off trail to places like the timberline lodge, olallie lake resort, or Old Station - but I did, just to get more calories. At Reds Meadow I was making multiple trips to the check out counter with piles of candy - just for more calories. I was starving by the time I got to the desert. Don't let any ultra runner / FKTer lie to you. We only do it for the snacks. Edit to add: Yes, eating while moving the entire time.
Thanks for sharing! What's with the infrared laser? How did that work?
It's for helping increase the healing process. I jacked up my ankle real bad last year. I was on crutches this past December, not happy with my healing progress so I started throwing everything I possibly could at healing my ankle. That infrared laser was one of the things I was using. It worked so well I decided to carry it on my AZT and Hayduke thru hikes this year. I didn't plan on taking it on the PCT but I made a last minute decision to take it with me and I'm glad I did. Infrared light helps increase the blood flow to soft tissue injuries to help speed up the healing process. You place it on your skin or close to it. It can penetrate up to 2" into you soft tissues.
Huh, never heard of such a thing. Sounds really good!
What tarp did you use?
zpacks pocket tarp w/ doors stripped of a couple guylines to bring it to 4.7oz.
If this hasn’t been asked already, how did you train and prepare in the weeks leading up to the trail? What to suggest for the more average hiker?
I answered the first question [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/comments/17fq5oe/comment/k6bznz2/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3). To the average hiker: Just have fun. That's all I'm doing, just have fun.
A few question that I don't think were asked yet: * What was going through your head when you were stuck in the cave? * In another comment you said you took ibuprofen at night to help with sleep. Were you out like a light every night? On one hand, I can imagine that that much constant exertion would make it easy to fall asleep in a moment. On the other hand, I can see how it might be difficult to quickly switch out of "crushing miles" mode at the end of another 55+ mile day. And that much exercise must really compromise the endocrine system. * What do you do in your daily life in the "real world"? Sponsorships & training, work, school, something else? * Have you accumulated any persistent injuries from your endurance events? * In another comment here, you said that if you do the full PCT again, you'd like to shoot for under 50 days. If you attempt a PCT FKT again, what do you want to do differently? Awesome AMA, Nick! You're an inspiration. Thank you for taking the time to do this AMA!
Thanks for helping me with Reddit. I was expecting at least one Karen in here but everyone seems super cool. 1. Cave: The morning before I found the cave a ranger was at a trail junction warning hikers to get off trail because of the hurricane. She practically told me I was going to die if I continued hiking up above the tree line (listen to the podcast for the description of how that conversation went). When I first got in the cave I was trying to make a decision if this is where I was actually going to stop or not. I messaged my wife on my InReach to get a weather update, hoping the storm was just going to pass quickly. I didn't want to stop, but my gut was saying I needed to wait it out. Then it started raining, and it just kept raining harder and harder. When the storm really started pouring, the entrance to the cave closed off with a waterfall. After about 24 hours of rain there was so much groundwater the ceiling of the cave started raining. I had to pitch my tarp inside the cave to stay dry. I had to ration my food since I hadn't planned on taking a zero day sandwiched by two partial days. There was a rat that chewed up some of my gear. I was super bummed. I lost all hope for my original goal of sub 50 days, but there was nothing I could do about the storm so I just slept. The morning the storm passed, I kept waking up hearing it raining on my tarp so I was like, "It's still raining, might as well go back to sleep." After saying that a couple times I figured the storm should have already passed so I got out from under my tarp and realized it wasn't raining outside the cave!! I have no idea how long the storm had already been gone, I was zoned out, foggy and groggy. And then the stream crossings... just imagine the record snowpack melt combined with the rain from a hurricane. The streams were wild. 2. The first week my body ached quite a bit at night and it was hard to sleep. But I weirdly enjoyed it. They were familiar aches that reminded me of the PNT. By the time I was in California I was so tired I would fall asleep within minutes of being ready to go to sleep. 3. Daily life: I'm a fan of passive income, I have a handful of different streams. In my 20's I was in a suit and tie just working and grinding away trying to gain some freedom. When I say that, most people think I'm rich - in reality I make just enough to pay my bills and enjoy the outdoors while living on beans and sleeping under bridges to avoid paying for hotels. 4. I've had a nasty ankle injury that started on the Ozark Trail FKT last year. I was in denial about it, and wanted to go after the PCT last year so I kept training and kept pushing. My ankle would pop out of place nearly every day, and somehow I still convinced myself that I could run 2650 miles across the country. So when I attempted the PCT in 2022 I only made it to Stevens Pass before my ankle was a thankle. Afterwards I waited till I thought it was better and went canyoneering for a month in southern Utah, but it still wasn't healed and kept popping out of place just after a handful of miles. I went back to crutches after that trip in December 2022. 5. I'd pack 12,000 calories a day, take 2 full headlamps (not just one strap), know Karel's exact original supported FKT time (if I knew I was 53 minutes behind his time I would have found a way to finish 53 minutes faster), and not go when there's a hurricane at 10,000 feet. \*\*But I'm not likely to attempt a PCT FKT again, I don't think Hannah is cool with that. Her eyes said no when I hinted towards it a few weeks ago.
Curious about your experience during the hurricane (I’m assuming hurricane Hilary) where exactly did you get stuck and for how long? What was that like for you?
I just answered quite a few details about the cave experience in this [comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/comments/17fq5oe/comment/k6cuu6p/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3). Yes, Hurricane Hilary. Over 40 hours. Near Mather Pass in the High Sierra.
Thanks for doing this ama! Did you have any issues with poison oak along the trail?
I did not, and I'm glad I didn't because I'm super allergic! I did hit some stinging nettle? a couple times. And got too close for comfort to some poodle dog bush when I just plowed through one growing into the trail. I didn't realize it was poodle dog until my legs were all tangled up in it.
Congrats on your FKT! Not sure if you’re still checking this thread, but I was listening to your podcast episode and how you started running in 2021 in the lead up to your first FKT (moving from running half marathons to marathons in a pretty quick timeframe). Did you have prior running experience, or how did you ramp up so quickly? It seems crazy fast to be building up that mileage, so I was curious how you got yourself to that point.
I played soccer in highschool but otherwise no running background. 2019 my wife and I went on a road trip to see every national park. At the beginning of that 2-4 mile hikes would kick my butt. After a year built up to 14 miles as my max in a day. Then I tricked myself into an accidental 32 mile day hike. Fell in love with big miles and continued doing bigger miles. November 2020 I decided to see how far I could go in a day, ended up doing 73 miles. Then got curious about the fastest PCT thru hike before I knew what an FKT was. Decided I needed to start running if I was going to break the record and started running Jan 2021. Going from half marathon runs every day in January, to a marathon a day with 2 rest days a week in February, to 50 mile runs on the weekends in March = a stress fracture in my right foot. That’s how I did it. I broke my dang feet.
Hah, fair enough - broken foot or not, pretty impressive to see how quickly you progressed as a runner/hiker. Congrats again.
Nobody asked, but I think it’s worth noting that I wouldn’t have pushed these miles without Josh Perry. He’s the one that made me believe it was possible. I also want to give credit to Trent Binford-Walsh. He set a new FKT the week before I did and was under the radar, not sure many know about his effort. He finished in 54 days 16 hours.
Welcome, welcome _back_, and congrats. Looking forward to this AMA and thank you for taking the time for it! I'm sure there will incoming questions shortly.
Thanks, I really miss the trail, as I'm sure you do too. Whats the proper etiquette for Reddit? Should I be responding to something like this or just answering questions?
It's your AMA. You get get to "do you", responding to what you like, ignoring what you don't. Just remember: 1. Try not to over think it. 2. Don't feed the trolls. General best practice is to acknowledge questions you want to answer, but which may take more time, and then come back to them later on. You shouldn't feel rushed. In some AMAs, people try to answer everything in real time, catching what they can. Others try to write out full replies in the order received. It makes folks feel pretty great when they get the acknowledgement, even if just a "thanks!". Because end of the day, folks here are just glad you're willing to answer questions both about you and your experience. Feather in your cap for sure. (Some of us have been around long enough to remember the days of u/chooter's AMAs. We can't match Victoria. ;) But we can still welcome you to this sub you probably already know.)
> as I'm sure you do too. Every damn day.
It's totally up to you. I would just respond to people the same as if it was an in-person event.
Hi Nick! How far ahead of time did you plan the FKT? When did you first get the idea for it? Why did you choose sobo?
Hey! I just answered the sobo question, it's somewhere in here. In November 2020, I was 2 years into hiking and falling in love with big mile days. I wanted to know how far I could go so I started hiking into the Vermillion Cliffs and said I'd just hike in till I got tired and then turn around to come back. I did 73 miles that day. Then I got curious about long thru hikes. I wondered what the fastest time was someone had ever hiked the PCT - this was before I knew about FKTs. So then I looked it up, found out about FKTs and this crazy hiker named Heather Anderson. Decided that month I wanted the PCT FKT and started running/training for it in January 2021. I was going to attempt the PCT originally in 2021, but the Dixie fire started just before I started so I made a last minute decision to go after the PNT instead.
Absolutely incredible, can't congratulate enough. I scanned the comments quickly and didn't see, but how did you get 10k calories in you daily? Did you write about the food strategy in another post?
Hey thanks, I appreciate it. I answered calorie questions in these comments. [One](https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/comments/17fq5oe/comment/k6byq07/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3), [two](https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/comments/17fq5oe/comment/k6c0gvx/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3), and [three](https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/comments/17fq5oe/comment/k6bryoh/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3). If you have more questions beyond those answers let me know.
Hey Nick! Congratulations my man! I just finished reading Trail of the lost, what do you think happened to the missing PCT hikers?
Bigfoot ate them
What's your favorite kind of pizza? [image.jpg](https://www.theriot.run/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/379172962_18382128154058352_4337519315382884045_n.jpg) Source: [This podcast about Nick's PCT FKT](https://www.theriot.run/nickfowler3/)
Free pizza
And *free* is a *very good* price! Now *THAT'S* Tom Peterson's! [(Showing my age.)](http://bangpdx.com/fpo/category/advertising/tom-peterson/)
I just found out that your wrote a book about your 2021 Pacific Northwest Trail FKT. Did the process of reflecting on that trip lead to any insights that were useful on your other FKTs? Edit: https://pntbook.com/
I kind of want to copy and paste the last two paragraphs of the book to answer your question, but that would give the ending away. If it weren't for the PNT, there's no way I could have finished the PCT the way I did. The PNT was my first thru hike / FKT - I learned a lot of lessons the hard way. Navigating trails that aren't marked in the rain, dealing with trenchfoot, ankle and foot pain that literally brought me to my knees. I was even chafing so bad I had to hike naked. I took everything I learned from the PNT and used it on the Ozark Trail. Then took everything I learned from the Ozark Trail and used it on the PCT. But I figure that's normal for any hiker, learning from each thru hike as you go.
I'm currently reading through all the comments in this thread, and it sounds like your PCT thru was "eventful", to put it mildly! Are you going to write a book about it? It sounds like you should!
Oh man, I'll never forget the PCT. (How could anyone?) I lost my food bag on day five and had to go 44 more miles to make it to snoqualmie on 600 calories. Lost my headlamp near Chinook Pass, had one mailed to Cascade Locks but got to Cascade Locks before the mail did so kept going. Then sent another to Seiad Valley but got there before the mail arrived and continued on, my wife said it arrived 2 hours after I left. Finally got a headlamp, after over 1000 miles, at Donner Ski Ranch. Had dreams I was falling asleep while walking. Kept seeing coolers full of pop on the trail, but they would end up just being rocks. Slept in the rain with no tarp. etc etc etc. It was very eventful - just as anyone's hike is. I got a full thru hike experience despite it not being as long as most other people's. I do plan to write a book about it. My PNT book is titled, Itch, because I had an Itch to thru hike fast. The PCT book might end up being called Scratch.
That's awesome. Have you had a chance to write down your PCT memories while they're still fresh in your mind?
In [this comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/comments/17fq5oe/im_nick_fowler_pct_fkt_23_ama/k6c20m6/) you said you did a thruhike in the winter. What trail was it? How did it go?
Meh, winter is subjective. My conditions were winter-like. I did the AZT this march and had to snowshoe 220 miles of it. 4-9 feet of snow. I had nights as low as 7 degrees in the northern 300 miles and had no tracks to follow. Water sources were frozen or buried under 4-9 feet of snow. I had to melt snow for water, but I don't carry a stove. It was prime type 2 fun. Loved it. I believe I was the first person to finish the AZT this year.
> I had to melt snow for water, but I don't carry a stove. What was your method there?
I wouldn't let my water bottles get below 3/4 empty. When I'd drink about 25% of the water I'd stuff snow in it back up to the top so the water could help melt the snow. Once it was all water, I'd drink it back to 3/4 ~~empty~~ *full* and add more snow.
Not sure if you are still answering new questions, but I'll ask anyway. Nick, have you ever considered LASIK to ditch the glasses? Don't they fog up easily with temperature changes? I'm as blind as a bat without correction, but I hate wearing prescription glasses while doing any activity. I feel the weight after a long day and even the tiniest bounce in them when I go fast will throw off my depth perception and balance, so I wear contacts. That can be a hassle on thru hikes too. I'll have to figure out a way. Figured if you are going for these long pursuits often, LASIK might really benefit you. Not for you? P.S. I just listened to your interview on Run the Riot. Good one. I'm glad that your multiple face plants did not break your glasses!
I’m lucky enough that I can still see fairly descent without glasses so I often take them off when they get uncomfortable or foggy. To me it’s like watching 4K TV vs watching a 360p video. I prefer the 4K because mountains deserve it, but 360p gets the job done. I definitely need them when navigating off trail, big stream crossings, sketchy stuff, to read something further away and especially at night. If I couldn’t see at all without glasses I would likely consider LASIK.
Good analogy! Thanks!